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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of perturbed
Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025
Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 4 May 2026
Brubaker, still perturbed about Wolcott calling time, immediately yelled at Wolcott and had to be calmed down by Susac.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
The mayor was less perturbed, suggesting that throwing a snowball should not result in criminal charges.
—New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Demi herself looks perturbed but moves on quickly.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
But on the other hand, Amir and Jahan do, in fact, act strangely enough — including walking around at night, and humming in cartoonishly sinister ways — that even the most rational and accepting observers would be rightly perturbed.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
While happy with the win, head coach Tommy Lloyd seemed perturbed by the lack of Arizona fans in the stands.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026
At a bar not far from Aghayeva’s dorm, a music-education scholar was perturbed, despite having been born in California.
—Jane Bua, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
We're not perturbed by the stock's back-to-back weak sessions following the earnings report .
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Dickinson appeared somewhere between perturbed and seething.
—Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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
Brubaker, still perturbed about Wolcott calling time, immediately yelled at Wolcott and had to be calmed down by Susac.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
The mayor was less perturbed, suggesting that throwing a snowball should not result in criminal charges.
—New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Demi herself looks perturbed but moves on quickly.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
But on the other hand, Amir and Jahan do, in fact, act strangely enough — including walking around at night, and humming in cartoonishly sinister ways — that even the most rational and accepting observers would be rightly perturbed.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
While happy with the win, head coach Tommy Lloyd seemed perturbed by the lack of Arizona fans in the stands.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026
At a bar not far from Aghayeva’s dorm, a music-education scholar was perturbed, despite having been born in California.
—Jane Bua, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
We're not perturbed by the stock's back-to-back weak sessions following the earnings report .
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perturbed
Adjective
-
Reformers were worried that putting more money into the hands of local school districts, without oversight to ensure that it was being spent effectively, would lead to its diversion into administration and more generous union contracts rather than hands-on instruction for kids who needed it most.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
-
Yu said that, as China has strengthened its social safety net, people are less worried about having to rely on others.—
Janis Mackey Frayer,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
She has also been disturbed by the increase in what looks to her like a lack of trust in science, as seen in falling vaccination rates and rising instances of diseases like measles.—
Deepti Hajela,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
When to Plant Watermelon Seeds Most seed catalogs recommend direct sowing watermelon seeds into gardens or pots because watermelons don’t like to have their roots disturbed.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
If the Cavaliers pull the Game 7 upset, Game 1 will play out at Madison Square Garden.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
16 May 2026
-
Away to a Newcastle team that has won just one of their last six league matches and has little to play for at this stage of a disappointing season, there could be an opportunity for West Ham to cause an upset.—
Graham Ruthven,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
For the last several months, wildlife experts have been alarmed by a large influx of dead and emaciated seabirds washing up on California beaches.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
-
Veterans of the Civil Rights Movement are alarmed by the speed of the rollbacks, noting that protections won through generations of sacrifice have been weakened in little more than a decade.—
Kim Chandler,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
There was laughter, nervous laughter, lots of nervous laughter, and also tears.—
Roberto Prieto,
Variety,
19 May 2026
-
Providing the voice of one of the many alien characters is Martin Scorsese, who has some amusing moments with his typically rapid-fire delivery as a nervous street food vendor whom Djarin pumps for information.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
The Vedder Cup is a tongue-in-cheek attempt to pair the Padres and Mariners as rivals despite the two teams not having much reason to get all hot and bothered about a series.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
-
He has since been elected to the state Senate twice, in one of Iowa’s bluest areas; both times, no Republican bothered to run.—
Amy Davidson Sorkin,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
That’s a lot of anxious energy surrounding a screening of a 55-year-old film that hasn’t been hard to see — in one form or another — in recent times.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
Now, the Tiki Social at the Omni may be driving another escape, from our anxious times to the fantasy island life.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Rather than acting out on the anger, take a calming moment with some deep breaths, and think about the possibility that your partner was possibly distracted or stressed out.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
But during the aufguss ceremony at BASIN Glacial Waters, people smiled and laughed and swayed to the music, and Kyan’s dance-like towel moves distracted me from the discomfort of the heat.—
Jen Murphy,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perturbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perturbed. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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