Synonyms of perturbing

perturbing 1 of 2

adjective

pər-ˈtər-biŋ 

as in disturbing

causing worry or anxiety

the perturbing news meant that we'd have to end our vacation prematurely

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disturbing
• unsettling
• troubling
• frightening
• upsetting
• troublesome
• disquieting
• nasty
• distressing
• scary
• worrisome
• nagging
• discomforting
• shocking
• terrible
• horrible
• terrifying
• troublous
• discouraging
• disconcerting
• dismaying
• discomposing
• dire
• disheartening
• alarming
• demoralizing
• daunting
• chilling
• dreadful
• discomfiting
• direful
• fearful
• dispiriting
• dread
• formidable
• horrifying
• forbidding
• ghastly
• persecutory
• frightful
• fearsome
• intimidating
• horrendous
• harassing
• persecutive
• hair-raising

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reassuring
• settling
• soothing
• calming
• narcotic
• comforting
• dreamy
• relaxing
• sedative
• quieting
• inviting
• tranquilizing
• consoling
• lulling
• pacifying

perturbing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of perturb

as in alarming

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

• disturbing
• alarming
• distracting
• bothering
• concerning
• worrying
• unsettling
• upsetting
• angering
• agitating
• distressing
• haunting
• disquieting
• discomforting
• plaguing
• annoying
• dismaying
• irritating
• unhinging
• derailing
• ailing
• confusing
• undoing
• embarrassing
• exercising
• rattling
• aggravating
• exasperating
• frazzling
• bugging
• freaking (out)
• fussing
• harassing
• discomposing
• distempering
• flurrying
• vexing
• discouraging
• weirding out
• hagriding
• pestering
• disconcerting
• nettling
• irking
• bedeviling
• grating
• confounding
• galling
• riling
• harrying
• fretting
• jarring
• mortifying
• discomfiting
• unnerving
• piquing
• chafing
• disheartening
• dispiriting
• chivying
• peeving
• daunting
• putting off
• getting
• flustering
• demoralizing
• putting out
• discountenancing
• shaking up
• nonplussing
• abashing
• fazing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• soothing
• calming
• composing
• quieting
• settling
• alleviating
• tranquilizing
• allaying
• pacifying
• appeasing
• assuaging
• placating
• conciliating
• mollifying
• propitiating

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of perturbing

Adjective

Advertisement Indeed, along with a perturbing reliance on fossil fuels, around 18–20% of Saudi youth are unemployed, meaning developing productive avenues for them is a policy priority as set out in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 30 Apr. 2026

Soon, Callaghan — alongside Nic Mosher and Evan Gilbert-Katz — was traversing the country in a shabby RV, documenting the surreal, perturbing and often hilarious fringes of American culture. — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026

Now Hank has to contend with ride-share apps, boba, and bike lanes that interfere with his commute—adjustments that are perturbing to him. — Adrienne Matei, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2025

But Citron has proved to be one of the most surefire defensive options in this year’s draft, pairing a perturbing timing off the ball with her notable length at 6-foot-1 to grow into one of the nation’s most disruptive defenders. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025

Verb

It had previously been thought that an unseen gas giant planet, having carved out a gap between the middle and outer ring, was perturbing the outer ring. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 17 Aug. 2026

In another study conducted around the same time, Picard found that perturbing mitochondria changed their host cell’s gene expression and growth, even when the organelles’ ability to transform energy was unchanged. — Rachel Nuwer, Quanta Magazine, 17 July 2026

Soon, Callaghan — alongside Nic Mosher and Evan Gilbert-Katz — was traversing the country in a shabby RV, documenting the surreal, perturbing and often hilarious fringes of American culture. — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026

Wait a few hundred-thousand years, and another star will drift into our Oort cloud, perturbing it and potentially triggering new comets arriving in our inner Solar System. — Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026

The collision would trigger fusion, perturbing a magnetic field, which in turn produces power. — Harry Booth, Time, 29 Oct. 2025