perturb
Americanverb (used with object)
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to disturb or disquiet greatly in mind; agitate.
I can see how such a massive change in your routine would perturb you.
- Antonyms:
- pacify
-
to throw into great disorder.
Huge construction projects can take years to finish, and meanwhile, can greatly perturb the neighborhood.
- Synonyms:
- muddle, disarrange, confuse
-
Astronomy. to cause perturbation in the orbit of (a celestial body).
verb
-
to disturb the composure of; trouble
-
to throw into disorder
-
physics astronomy to cause (a planet, electron, etc) to undergo a perturbation
Other Word Forms
- nonperturbable adjective
- nonperturbing adjective
- perturbability noun
- perturbable adjective
- perturbably adverb
- perturbatious adjective
- perturbator noun
- perturber noun
- perturbing adjective
- perturbingly adverb
- perturbment noun
- unperturbable adjective
- unperturbing adjective
Etymology
Origin of perturb
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English perturben (from Old French perturber ), from Latin perturbāre “to throw into confusion,” from per- per- + turbāre “to agitate, confuse” ( turbid )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That people are so susceptible to what they read, watch and listen to online is perturbing enough as it is.
From Salon
“I can’t even believe it,” a visibly perturbed Putin said on camera.
More curiously, even though U.S. high-yield spreads are at post-1998 lows, few investors seemed to be unduly perturbed here.
From MarketWatch
And he seemed, in the estimation of some around the team, unusually perturbed as public criticisms of his play started to mount.
From Los Angeles Times
“It’s perturbing and upsetting,” said Mark Bookbinder, a 68-year-old engineer who lives in Cincinnati.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
