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perturb

verb
per·​turb | \ pÉ™r-ˈtÉ™rb How to pronounce perturb (audio) \
perturbed; perturbing; perturbs

Definition of perturb

transitive verb

1 : to cause to be worried or upset : disquiet, unsettle Half way down the next flight, she smiled to think that a char-woman's stare should so perturb her.— Edith Wharton The crowd didn't seem to perturb them in the slightest …— Nick Hornby
2 : to throw into confusion : disorder perturbing the social order
3 : to cause to experience a perturbation — see perturbation sense 2 Newton finally realized that the planetary orbits would be only approximate ellipses, for the mutual attractions of the planets would perturb their paths.— Owen Gingerich
Other Words from perturb Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about perturb

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Other Words from perturb

perturbable \ pÉ™r-​ˈtÉ™r-​bÉ™-​bÉ™l How to pronounce perturbable (audio) \ adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for perturb

discompose, disquiet, disturb, perturb, agitate, upset, fluster mean to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action. discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress. discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind. the disquieting news of factories closing disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption. the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions. perturbed by her husband's strange behavior agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement. in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief. the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child fluster suggests bewildered agitation. his declaration of love completely flustered her

Did You Know?

With its per- prefix, perturb meant originally "thoroughly upset", though today the word has lost most of its intense edge. Perturb and perturbation are often used by scientists, usually when speaking of a change in their data indicating that something has affected some normal process. When someone is referred to as imperturbable, it means he or she manages to remain calm through the most trying experiences.

Examples of perturb in a Sentence

It perturbed him that his son was thinking about leaving school. the caller's strange remark perturbed me enough to keep me awake that night

Recent Examples on the Web

 In exchange for that $30 million annual compensation, Federer—who, to his immense credit, always seems present and never perturbed by his off-court obligations—will make an appearance at a Uniqlo store, put on a smile and sign a few things. — Daniel Rapaport, SI.com, "TennisCon: An Inside Look Into the Frenetic Week Before the U.S. Open," 28 Aug. 2019 Some Medinah members might be perturbed that the course record fell twice — Hideki Matsuyama shot 63 (twice, actually) and Thomas fired a 61 that featured a hole-out from 180 yards. — Teddy Greenstein, chicagotribune.com, "5 takeaways from a ‘spectacular ’ BMW Championship, including crazy-low scores, a tough act for Olympia Fields to follow and Tiny Houses are here to stay," 18 Aug. 2019 Even the dismissal of Morgan Schneiderlin did not perturb his defence, with 15 minutes of play against the Eagles seen off despite their numerical disadvantage. — SI.com, "Everton Continue Remarkable Defensive Turnaround to Trail Man City in 2019 Clean Sheet Race," 11 Aug. 2019 The ordeal has perturbed some of Heber’s congregants. — Katherine Khashimova Long, The Seattle Times, "After a rabbi sent her explicit messages, JBLM soldier’s wife says she was targeted and betrayed," 30 July 2019 In 2016, Congress installed a fiscal board to oversee the island’s troubled finances — a move that perturbed many Puerto Ricans who joined in protests this week. — Los Angeles Times, "Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello clings to power amid rumors he’ll step down," 24 July 2019 The Sweeneys and the Fords are perturbed by the police’s handling of the case. — Erin Logan, baltimoresun.com, "‘I can’t imagine he would be violent’: Neighbors question Howard police’s handling of fatal shooting," 22 July 2019 If the nucleus recoils with enough vigor, and if the atoms that are perturbed are then buried deep in the earth (to shield the sample from cosmic rays that can muddy the data), then the recoil track could be preserved. — Rebecca Boyle, WIRED, "Dark Matter Hunters Are Looking Inside Rocks for New Clues," 13 Jan. 2019 Recently, however, attention has focused on right-wing extremists perturbed by the arrival of nearly two million asylum seekers into Germany since 2015. — Ruth Bender, WSJ, "German Terror Police Probe Politician’s Killing," 17 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'perturb.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of perturb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for perturb

Middle English, from Middle French perturber, from Latin perturbare to throw into confusion, from per- + turbare to disturb — more at turbid

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More Definitions for perturb

perturb

verb
How to pronounce perturb (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of perturb

: to cause (someone) to be worried or upset

See the full definition for perturb in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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