perturb

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /pɚˈtɝb/ UK /pəˈtɜːb/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to make anxious or unsettled; to disturb a system slightly

The strange noise seemed to perturb the otherwise calm dog.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make anxious or... disturb unsettle disquiet agitate trouble disconcert fluster ruffle

Opposites

calm soothe reassure compose settle

Word family

Derived forms perturbationperturbedperturbingperturbable

Related forms disturb turbulent turbid

Simplified etymology

Perturb entered English in the later Middle Ages and is related to Latin turba, “a crowd” or “disturbance.” It belongs to the same historical family as trouble, disturb, turbid, and turbulent.

Etymology

From Old French perturber, from Latin perturbare ('to confuse, disturb greatly'), from per- ('thoroughly') + turbare ('to disturb'), from turba ('crowd, commotion').

perturbare Latin turbare Latin turba Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# perturb

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /pɚˈtɝb/
**IPA (UK):** /pəˈtɜːb/

## Meanings
1. to make anxious or unsettled; to disturb a system slightly

## Examples
- The strange noise seemed to perturb the otherwise calm dog.

## Synonyms
- disturb
- unsettle
- disquiet
- agitate
- trouble
- disconcert
- fluster
- ruffle

## Antonyms
- calm
- soothe
- reassure
- compose
- settle

## Derived Forms
- perturbation
- perturbed
- perturbing
- perturbable

## Related Forms
- disturb
- turbulent
- turbid

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: perturbare
- Root: turbare
- Root: turba

## Etymology
From Old French perturber, from Latin perturbare ('to confuse, disturb greatly'), from per- ('thoroughly') + turbare ('to disturb'), from turba ('crowd, commotion').

## AI Etymology
Perturb comes from Old French perturber, from Latin perturbare ('to confuse, disturb greatly'), from per- ('thoroughly') + turbare ('to disturb'), from turba ('crowd, commotion'). The historical trail runs through Latin perturbare, Latin turbare and Latin turba. Morphologically, the surface form is analyzable into prefixes, suffixes, compounds, or participial endings that carry part of the history. In modern use it means to make anxious or unsettled; to disturb a system slightly. Derived formations include perturbation, perturbed, perturbing, perturbable; related forms include disturb, turbulent, turbid.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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