to disturb
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to disturb
To strongly unsettle, confuse, or emotionally/psychologically throw someone off balance. To trigger deep irritation or a feeling of shock.
Die grausamen Bilder aus dem Kriegsgebiet haben viele Menschen zutiefst verstört.
The cruel images from the war zone deeply disturbed many people.
The verb is made up of the prefix 'ver-' and the verb 'stören' (to bother/disturb). While 'stören' simply means 'to bother', 'ver-' intensifies the meaning to 'to deeply unsettle' or 'to psychologically throw someone off balance'.
Sein seltsames Verhalten hat mich mehr als nur gestört, es hat mich richtig verstört.
His strange behavior did more than just bother me; it really disturbed me.
'Verstören' (to disturb) is a transitive verb. The person who is emotionally affected is always in the accusative. The cause is often the subject of the sentence.
Der plötzliche laute Knall hat die Katze völlig verstört.
The sudden loud bang completely disturbed the cat.
The past participle 'verstört' (disturbed) is very often used as an adjective to describe a person's state. It then means something like 'deeply unsettled' or 'confused'.
Nach dem Unfall stand er mit verstörtem Gesichtsausdruck am Straßenrand.
After the accident, he stood at the side of the road with a disturbed expression on his face.
to disturb / bother
'stören' and 'verstören' can both describe something affecting someone in an unpleasant way. The difference is mainly in the intensity. 'stören' can already fit small annoyances, for example noise, disorder, or an inappropriate comment. 'verstören' is much stronger and means that someone is deeply emotionally unsettled, confused, or shocked. Learners may confuse the words because of their similar form. The important point is: 'stören' is often everyday and mild; 'verstören' only fits a strong emotional reaction.
Der Bericht über den Unfall hat Lena sehr verstört.
The report about the accident deeply disturbed Lena.
Es stört mich, dass der Termin so spät beginnt.
It bothers me that the appointment starts so late.