perturbed 1 of 2

adjective

pər-ˈtərbd How to pronounce perturbed (audio)
Definition of perturbednext
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty a perturbed look betrayed her nervousness at her first job interview

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

perturbed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of perturb
as in disturbed
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy the caller's strange remark perturbed me enough to keep me awake that night

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 perturbed
Verb
And Hinch was jeered again after Jones struck out, bookending the booing and showing Tigers fans are perturbed over the team’s downfall. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2026 Lobo appeared perturbed that the shop’s owner brought the claim to the Clark County District Attorney instead of filing a civil suit. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026 Trump’s executive order perturbed many in the architecture profession when it was issued last year. — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 12 June 2026 Some users were perturbed by Obuzic’s stories. — Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 Brunson was clearly perturbed by the sound of his friend chewing while in front of a microphone. — James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 3 June 2026 However, some users are perturbed by the new home screen. — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 27 May 2026 Weston Richey, a 25-year-old Texan photographer with whom Kyra seemed to be perturbed, pulled her for a chat to try to figure out why she was annoyed with him. — Anna Peele, Vulture, 20 May 2026 The survey reflects a sense that Americans may be growing less concerned about dying, and more perturbed by the financial implications of remaining alive. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perturbed
  1. worried
  2. disturbed
  3. upset
  4. alarmed
  5. nervous
  6. bothered
  7. anxious
  8. distracted
Adjective
  • If anyone was worried about a lack of personality from SEC coaches this coming season, their fears were likely quelled during SEC Media Days this week.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026
  • Luria, however, worried about that tangle of investments which bind the AI giants to their own customers; the love triangle of Google, Amazon and Anthropic; Microsoft and OpenAI, Nvidia and CoreWeave.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 23 July 2026
Definition of worried
Verb
  • The gunk Bondurant observed was likely didymo disturbed off the bottom of the river by people swimming and walking around.
    — Hannah Smith July 25, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 2026
  • By contrast, ecological systems are complexly interconnected, meaning that when one element is disturbed, all the other components linked to it are affected, too, spreading the disturbance throughout the system.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Definition of disturbed
Adjective
  • Then Greyson mentions that things at school aren’t great and the kids are mean to him, and Jenn gets even more upset.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 July 2026
  • But even taken at face value, many appear upset at the disregard of rest.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 23 July 2026
Definition of upset
Verb
  • There is currently no evidence that this is the case, and news reports suggest that OpenAI’s own safety teams were alarmed by the incident.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 24 July 2026
  • America’s Poison Centers’s national helpline receives more than 60,000 calls about possible vitamin poisoning every year, mostly from parents alarmed after their children have accidentally gorged on the chewy sweets.
    — Cat Rainsford, Popular Science, 23 July 2026
Definition of alarmed
Adjective
  • And investors are increasingly nervous about when and whether the mind-boggling sums being spent by Big Tech on data centers will ever generate returns.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
  • This can reduce uncertainty for patients who are nervous about traveling abroad.
    — Nia Bowers, USA Today, 22 July 2026
Definition of nervous
Verb
  • Whether you're bothered by perceiving the crease is entirely subjective, but Samsung added a dual-layered glass architecture to the inside display to reduce the visible crease by 20% on the Z Fold 8.
    — Florence Ion, PC Magazine, 23 July 2026
  • With an outdoor grill, full washer and dryer, and ensuite bathrooms for each bedroom, our party of six could have camped out for a full month–and never bothered to see a theme park.
    — Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 21 July 2026
Definition of bothered
Adjective
  • Kids who, like him, are growing up afraid and anxious because of domestic violence at home, and who need what Torre didn’t have — somewhere safe to go to for help.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
  • In June, a group of anxious European policy researchers issued Europe 2031, a scenario in which civilization between the Urals and the Atlantic ends up at least functionally extinct.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026
Definition of anxious
Verb
  • Authorities allege Ivy and Mayhand distracted employees by browsing merchandise while Wiley sat at a consultation desk and stole two pieces of jewelry before the trio fled.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026
  • The data can be collected by smartphone apps, transponders and other technology, with the apps able to detect whether a driver is handling the phone and is distracted — a leading cause of accidents along with speeding.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of distracted

Browse Nearby Words

perturbation
perturbed
perturbing
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Cite this Entry

“Perturbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perturbed. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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