Synonym Chooser

How does the verb perturb contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of perturb are agitate, discompose, disquiet, disturb, fluster, and upset. While all these words mean "to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action," perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions.

perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

In what contexts can agitate take the place of perturb?

Although the words agitate and perturb have much in common, agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement.

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

When would discompose be a good substitute for perturb?

While the synonyms discompose and perturb are close in meaning, discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress.

discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

When is disquiet a more appropriate choice than perturb?

While in some cases nearly identical to perturb, disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind.

the disquieting news of factories closing

When can disturb be used instead of perturb?

In some situations, the words disturb and perturb are roughly equivalent. However, disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption.

the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

Where would fluster be a reasonable alternative to perturb?

The words fluster and perturb can be used in similar contexts, but fluster suggests bewildered agitation.

his declaration of love completely flustered her

When might upset be a better fit than perturb?

The meanings of upset and perturb largely overlap; however, upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief.

the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of perturb Since returning to the White House in January, he has been particularly perturbed by the Journal’s editorials, which are separate from the newsroom. Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 17 July 2025 But Trump is suddenly perturbed by the mere mention of TACO. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025 The initial guidance perturbed some who have embraced the Trump administration's approach towards vaccines and Making America Healthy Again (MAHA), including social media influencer Diana Atieh. Nick Mordowanec gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025 The deal for Wirtz alone is so astronomical that Manchester City and Bayern Munich were perturbed. Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for perturb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perturb
Verb
  • He was recently disturbed by a Reddit thread in which a user posted jargon-heavy chatbot messages that seemed eerily familiar.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 10 Aug. 2025
  • This experience left him disturbed by how his presence affected others.
    Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Listen for the signs Notifications, newsfeeds and WhatsApp groups are distracting you from making a difference with your work.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Meanwhile, the Carter administration was distracted by other global events: the Panama Canal crisis, the SALT II negotiations with Moscow, the Israeli-Egyptian peace talks.
    Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • If a body is here, whoever buried it didn’t bother digging deep, because there’s no fear of getting caught.
    Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The article includes a fancy-looking formula central to the algorithm, but the formula is nearly impossible to decipher since the authors didn’t bother to explain half the symbols in it.
    Noah Giansiracusa, Time, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Ford put on a blood pressure cuff and was alarmed at the results: 151 over 115, with a heartrate of 171.
    Jen Reeder, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
  • The decision has alarmed some of Trump's current and former allies in the GOP.
    Micah McCartney John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Now, conservation experts worry the road will propel more urbanization.
    Natalia Jaramillo, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025
  • Altman’s statement leans into a growing competition over AI–one that developers in the U.S. are worried of losing.
    Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Markets are unsettled, geopolitics shows up inside product roadmaps, and investors ask for discipline and outsized growth at the same time.
    Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
  • Revolutions are unsettling affairs, Kurzman, the sociologist, notes.
    Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • On the back of that victory, players recently filed a class action lawsuit against FIFA concerning its rules on player movement.
    Chris Deubert, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • And with King Charles reportedly concerned about Trump due to his upcoming state visit to the UK, this doesn’t bode well for Andrew.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • There’s even a room equipped with soft surfaces for when clients inadvertently take a drug that agitates them.
    Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 4 Aug. 2025
  • When Hank gets agitated by all the change, he self-soothes by buying a spanner wrench.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Perturb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perturb. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on perturb

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