perturb

verb

pər-ˈtərb How to pronounce perturb (audio)
Definition of perturbnext
as in to disturb
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb perturb contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of perturb are agitate, discompose, disquiet, disturb, fluster, and upset. While all these words mean "to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action," perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions.

perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

In what contexts can agitate take the place of perturb?

Although the words agitate and perturb have much in common, agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement.

in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

When would discompose be a good substitute for perturb?

While the synonyms discompose and perturb are close in meaning, discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress.

discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

When is disquiet a more appropriate choice than perturb?

While in some cases nearly identical to perturb, disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind.

the disquieting news of factories closing

When can disturb be used instead of perturb?

In some situations, the words disturb and perturb are roughly equivalent. However, disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption.

the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

Where would fluster be a reasonable alternative to perturb?

The words fluster and perturb can be used in similar contexts, but fluster suggests bewildered agitation.

his declaration of love completely flustered her

When might upset be a better fit than perturb?

The meanings of upset and perturb largely overlap; however, upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief.

the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of perturb The outlet also reported students were also perturbed by the news. —Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025 But she’s perturbed when Emily adds on the allegation about her makeout session, which Gretchen’s fiancé Slade claims to have on tape. —Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025 Rose water brings with it soothing properties and a lovely scent, as ultrafine silica powder and jojoba beads very softly help break up flakes to reveal petal-soft skin that feels pampered, not perturbed. —Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025 Each of these can get perturbed in different ways. —Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for perturb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perturb
  1. disturb
  2. distract
  3. bother
  4. alarm
  5. worry
  6. unsettle
  7. concern
  8. agitate
Verb
  • Conventional cleanup techniques often worsen the problem by disturbing soil structures and consuming large amounts of energy.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
  • There is trash and pollutants from the tourists and gravel has been mined from the area to make trekking routes for people, disturbing the places where females may have laid their eggs, researchers said.
    — Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Definition of disturb
Verb
  • While some critics are skeptical of the claims amid a lack of publicly available evidence – suggesting instead that they are meant to distract from growing public discontent and protests against Noboa’s government – the president insisted to CNN the threat was real.
    — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
  • What Wednesday evening’s triumph also does is quieten the distracting outside noise that such a newsworthy club invariably attracts.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Definition of distract
Verb
  • Not the kind of thrift store that’s actually thrifty, but the kind of thrift store that doesn’t have any price tags because the people who can afford to shop there don’t need to bother themselves with price tags.
    — Lex Goldstein, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Being a double Viking with Swedish and Norman blood on each side of my family, the cold never bothered me.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Definition of bother
Verb
  • That should alarm every one of us because ICE is not targeting criminals.
    — Jody Agius Vallejo, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
  • The report quickly circulated on social media and even alarmed some basketball fans.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
Definition of alarm
Verb
  • More broadly, the NBA has expressed concern about prop bets, while other sports leagues have worried about the potential for manipulation.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
  • After Trump spoke to Lurie, local leaders and advocates worried that Trump would shift his attention from San Francisco, which at one point hosted more billionaires than any other city, to less powerful and more diverse enclaves like Oakland and Alameda.
    — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Definition of worry
Verb
  • The excuse of Manchester United’s summer interest unsettling Baleba is wearing thin.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
  • My father walked outside into the spring sunshine, elated and unsettled.
    — Nicholas Thompson, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
Definition of unsettle
Verb
  • Twelve of the 20 indicators for the health risks and impacts of climate change in the report set concerning new records—showing that the health impacts caused by our changing climate have reached unprecedented levels that cannot be ignored.
    — Simmone Shah, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
  • So there is some regret there, at least as far as I'm concerned.
    — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Definition of concern
Verb
  • Stir minimally, to combine ingredients but to agitate the bubbles as little as possible.
    — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Ultimately, the moment encouraged the Soviet population to agitate for household comforts.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
Definition of agitate

Browse Nearby Words

pertness
perturb
perturbable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Perturb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perturb. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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