Häiritäviä

Häiritäviä is a Finnish adjective form meaning "disturbing" or "bothersome," derived from the verb häiritä, “to disturb.” It is used to describe things that cause disturbance or annoyance and is commonly found with nouns in plural or partitive forms, for example: häiritäviä ääniä (disturbing noises), häiritäviä ilmiöitä (disturbing phenomena).

Usage and examples

Häiritäviä is typically used to qualify plural or indefinite nouns. Examples include: Öisin kaupungissa kuului häiritäviä ääniä (Disturbing noises could be heard in the city at night) and Keskustelussa nousi esiin häiritäviä seikkoja (Disturbing points were raised in the discussion). In media or research contexts, it may appear in content warnings or descriptions of observed phenomena.

Translations and nuance

The term commonly translates to “disturbing” or “bothersome,” with a negative connotation. The exact shade of meaning depends on context: it can refer to sensory disturbance (noise, images) or to troubling topics or observations. It is more emphatic than neutral descriptors and is often used in evaluative or cautionary discourse, such as discussions of harmful content, social issues, or unsettling findings.

Related forms

The verb häiritä is the root, and häiritsevä (disturbing) is a closely related form used as a standalone adjective, while häiritäviä shows the participial adjective form in plural contexts.