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 Hernandez contends in his lawsuit that he was pushed out of his job of nearly a decade in August 2022 because Platt had become increasingly perturbed when Hernandez would challenge the statistics Platt would cite in public statements about city accomplishments. Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2025 India from the Netherlands didn’t seem too perturbed. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth perplexed and perturbed allies on his first visit to NATO by seemingly taking some of Ukraine's bargaining chips off the table before those talks began. Zachary Basu, Axios, 15 Feb. 2025 The observations also confirmed 2024 PT5 had all the characteristics expected of a rocky surface, including the extent to which its orbit is perturbed by solar radiation. Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 24 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for perturb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perturb
Verb
  • This involved manually disturbing the leg and then releasing it, capturing the resulting oscillations on high-speed video.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2025
  • What Is No-Till Gardening? Simply put, no-till is an approach to gardening that avoids disturbing soil in order to preserve its structure.
    Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Too often, however, the temptation to blame individuals or groups for housing ills distracts from the actual debate and prevents all stakeholders from discovering their mutual interests.
    Matt Frazier, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • The scientists now plan on developing the technology further, which will include boosting its ability to filter out distracting background noises such as those produced by body movements.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow was popular enough that fans wanted a solo story, but the studio didn't bother to make it until her character was already dead in the major timeline, then skipped the theatrical release, which Johansson sued them about.
    Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 19 Apr. 2025
  • So much so that Gillaspie didn’t bother to even grab a towel last summer when a pitching coach yelled into the visiting showers to alert him that Triple-A El Paso manager Pete Zamora needed to see him.
    Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Still, researchers are clear to reassure people there is no need to be alarmed about the continent hollowing out or there being any sudden landscape changes anytime soon.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Trump's attack on our courts threatens every American Our country faces a constitutional crisis that should alarm every American.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Moran worries that Alvarado, a diabetic breast cancer survivor who suffers from high blood pressure and needs to eat and drink frequently, will have poor access to her medication in detention — or after deportation.
    Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2025
  • According to Breen’s brother-in-law, Corey Feist, many people worried that any move to take care of their mental health could affect their jobs.
    Christina Ray Stanton, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Jalen Brunson endured physical play in the Knicks’ 100-94 Game 2 loss to the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden on Monday, alarming fans with another brief but unsettling late-game exit.
    C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025
  • And while terrifying movies are typically critic-proof at the box office, audiences tend to leave the theater feeling unsettled, which translates to poor exit polls.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The incident report was issued Monday at 3:57 p.m., and the last update concerning this incident was provided on Monday at 4:01 p.m.
    Kansas City Star Bot, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2025
  • The season went from concerning to disastrous under Van Nistelrooy.
    Rob Tanner, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Place lasagna noodles in a 9- x 13- inch baking dish; cover with hot or boiling water to submerge and set aside to soak until noodles are pliable, about 30 minutes, agitating noodles occasionally to prevent them from sticking together.
    Nicole Hopper, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2025
  • For instance, trust will be eroded when a person demonstrates a lack of temperance, which manifests as being agitated, impatient, inattentive, rash, and anxious instead of being composed, patient, prudent, self-controlled, and calm.
    Mary Crossan, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Perturb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perturb. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

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