perturb

verb

per·​turb pər-ˈtərb How to pronounce perturb (audio)
perturbed; perturbing; perturbs

transitive verb

1
: to cause to be worried or upset : disquiet, unsettle
Half way down the next flight, she smiled to think that a char-woman's stare should so perturb her.Edith Wharton
The crowd didn't seem to perturb them in the slightest …Nick Hornby
2
: to throw into confusion : disorder
perturbing the social order
3
: to cause to experience a perturbation see perturbation sense 2
Newton finally realized that the planetary orbits would be only approximate ellipses, for the mutual attractions of the planets would perturb their paths.Owen Gingerich
perturbable adjective

Did you know?

With its per- prefix, perturb meant originally "thoroughly upset", though today the word has lost most of its intense edge. Perturb and perturbation are often used by scientists, usually when speaking of a change in their data indicating that something has affected some normal process. When someone is referred to as imperturbable, it means he or she manages to remain calm through the most trying experiences.

Choose the Right Synonym for perturb

discompose, disquiet, disturb, perturb, agitate, upset, fluster mean to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action.

discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress.

discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind.

the disquieting news of factories closing

disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption.

the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions.

perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement.

in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief.

the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

fluster suggests bewildered agitation.

his declaration of love completely flustered her

Examples of perturb in a Sentence

It perturbed him that his son was thinking about leaving school. the caller's strange remark perturbed me enough to keep me awake that night
Recent Examples on the Web The notion of nonhuman animal rights has perturbed numerous legal scholars, prominent among them Richard A. Posner, a former federal judge who taught at the University of Chicago. Sam Roberts, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024 His doctors suggest that COVID may have perturbed his immune system. Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2024 He also was perturbed that Fanatics was signing exclusive deals with star players like Victor Wembanyama, the rookie center on the San Antonio Spurs, even though its license with the N.B.A. doesn’t start for a few years. Ken Belson, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2024 Dear Miss Manners: I was quite perturbed to receive a birthday card that had clearly been sent to my friend and then reused and sent to me. Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 25 Jan. 2024 At best, one of them would laugh at a joke, but for the most part, their expressions were perturbed, disturbed by what had just happened on the field in the 17-3 victory. Matt Stahl | Mstahl@al.com, al, 16 Sep. 2023 And he’s particularly perturbed by Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), who isn’t meant to be there. Amy MacKelden, ELLE, 6 Sep. 2023 Two years later, during my senior year of college, a thin film of dizziness perturbed me for almost three months. Shayla Love, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2023 Oddly, he doesn’t seem perturbed by the presence of a surveillance camera. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perturb.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French perturber, from Latin perturbare to throw into confusion, from per- + turbare to disturb — more at turbid

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of perturb was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near perturb

Cite this Entry

“Perturb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perturb. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

perturb

verb
per·​turb pər-ˈtərb How to pronounce perturb (audio)
: to disturb greatly especially in mind
perturbable adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on perturb

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