Häirivad

Häirivad is an Estonian adjective formed from the verb häirima, meaning to disturb or to annoy. It describes something that causes disturbance, disruption, or nuisance, and is used to characterise events, sounds, or situations as problematic or intrusive. The term can modify nouns in accordance with Estonian adjective agreement, for example häirivad helid (disturbing sounds), häiriv reklaam (an annoying advertisement), or häirivad mõtted (disturbing thoughts). The corresponding singular form is häiriv.

Etymologically, häirivad derives from häirima and shares its semantic field with related words such as häire (disturbance, fault) and häiriv (disturbing) as a base adjective. In use, häirivad often carries a negative or critical connotation, signaling that something interferes with attention, comfort, or normal activity. The expression is common in everyday speech, journalism, and public discourse when criticizing noise, interruptions, or intrusive phenomena.

Nuance and grammar: as an active-participle adjective, häirivad marks ongoing or characteristic disturbance rather than a completed action. It contrasts with häiritud (disturbed) to describe a person or thing that has been affected, rather than something that is causing disturbance. In practice, häirivad can describe both concrete sensory disturbances (noise, vibrations) and abstract disruptions (interruptions in a process, unwanted notifications).

See also: häirima, häiriv, häire.