Online OXFORD Collocation Dictionary

disturbance noun

¹ actions that upset the normal state of sb/sth

ADJ. considerable, major, serious | minimal, minimum, minor, slight

QUANT. level an unacceptable level of disturbance to occupiers of adjacent properties

VERB + DISTURBANCE cause, create, make The traffic causes serious disturbance to residents. | suffer | prevent She moved the nest very carefully to prevent disturbance to the birds.

PREP. without ~ a place where you can work without disturbance | ~ from disturbance from noisy lorries | ~ of the major disturbance of marine life caused by oil spillages | ~ to Buildings should create minimum disturbance to the environment.

² violent public event

ADJ. serious The decision led to serious disturbances in all the country's main cities. | violent | public | crowd, mass | serious | civil, ethnic, political, racial, social | inner city, rural, urban

VERB + DISTURBANCE cause, give rise to, lead to, provoke, trigger (off) He was arrested and charged with causing a disturbance in a public place. An influx of refugees has triggered off disturbances. | be involved in Large numbers of workers involved in the disturbances have been arrested. | deal with, put down, quell Troops were brought in to put down the disturbance.

DISTURBANCE + VERB occur | involve sb disturbances involving members of a crowd of 550 demonstrators

PREP. during/in a/the ~ Several people were injured during a disturbance in the capital city. | ~ among There had been violent disturbances among the prisoners. | ~ between disturbances between members of two rival factions

PHRASES a disturbance of the peace The government advocated strong action against Mussolini's disturbance of the peace.

³ emotional/physical upset

ADJ. serious, severe | behavioural, emotional, mental, psychiatric, psychological teenagers suffering from a kind of psychological disturbance | bowel, menstrual | sleep

VERB + DISTURBANCE suffer from

PREP. ~ in a disturbance in liver function behavioural disturbances in children