perturb

[ per-turb ]

/ pərˈtɜrb /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR perturb ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to disturb or disquiet greatly in mind; agitate.

to throw into great disorder; derange.

Astronomy. to cause perturbation in the orbit of (a celestial body).

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

pertinacious, pertinacity, pertinence, pertinent, pertly, perturb, perturbate, perturbation, perturbation theory, perturbative, perturbed

Origin of perturb

1325–75; Middle English perturben (< Old French perturber) < Latin perturbāre to throw into confusion, equivalent to per- per- + turbāre to disturb; see turbid

SYNONYMS FOR perturb

1 trouble.

2 confuse, addle, muddle.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR perturb ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR perturb

1 pacify.

SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR perturb ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

per·turb·a·ble, adjectiveper·turb·a·bil·i·ty, nounper·tur·ba·tious

[pur-ter-bey-shuhs] /ˌpɜr tərˈbeɪ ʃəs/, adjectiveper·turb·ed·ly

[per-tur-bid-lee] /pərˈtɜr bɪd li/, adverb

per·turb·ed·ness, nounper·turb·er, per·tur·ba·tor

[pur-ter-bey-ter] /ˈpɜr tərˌbeɪ tər/, nounper·turb·ing·ly, adverbper·turb·ment, nounnon·per·turb·a·ble, adjectivenon·per·turb·ing, adjectiveun·per·turb·a·ble, adjectiveun·per·turbed, adjectiveun·per·turb·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for perturbing

It exhibits the most exquisite polish, allied with an avoidance of every shocking or perturbing theme.
Japanese Literature|Various
A perturbing breath of the old life passed over his spirit, awakening indeterminate desires in his heart.
The Child of Pleasure|Gabriele D'Annunzio
Her sudden return, the perturbing sense of her nearness, had for the first time wrenched him away from the obsession of the past.
Captain Desmond, V.C.|Maud Diver
The perturbing influence of recent immigration must vex American life for many decades.
The Rising Tide of Color Against White World-Supremacy|Theodore Lothrop Stoddard

Scrubbing, painting of blinds, and other perturbing processes did all they could to make it uncomfortable.
Our Hundred Days in Europe|Oliver Wendell Holmes

British Dictionary definitions for perturbing

perturb

/ (pəˈtɜːb) /

verb (tr; often passive)

to disturb the composure of; trouble

to throw into disorder

physics astronomy to cause (a planet, electron, etc) to undergo a perturbation

Derived Formsperturbable, adjectiveperturbably, adverbperturbing, adjectiveperturbingly, adverb

Word Origin for perturb

C14: from Old French pertourber, from Latin perturbāre to confuse, from per- (intensive) + turbāre to agitate, from turba confusion

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for perturbing

perturb

late 14c., from Old French perturber "disturb, confuse" (14c.) and directly from Latin perturbare "to confuse, disorder, disturb," especially of states of the mind, from per- "through" (see per) + turbare "disturb, confuse," from turba "turmoil, crowd" (see turbid). Related: Perturbed; perturbing.