perturb

/pərˈtʌrb/

Other forms: perturbed; perturbing; perturbs

To perturb is to bug or bother someone by confusing them or throwing them off balance. You can try, but it's almost impossible to perturb the guards outside Buckingham Palace.

If you're having trouble getting used to the word perturb, you're in luck! It's similar in meaning to the verb "disturb." That's right, to perturb is to disturb, but in a way that suggests you're throwing it off its usual path or routine. The movie Born Free truly perturbed widespread views about animals—people suddenly started seeing them as individuals. If you stare at a person you don't know, it won't be long before you perturb them.

Definitions of perturb

1. verb

   disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed
   “She was rather perturbed by the news that her father was seriously ill”

   synonyms: cark, disorder, disquiet, distract, trouble, unhinge

   types:

   vex, worry

   disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress

   misgive

   suggest fear or doubt

   eat, eat on

   worry or cause anxiety in a persistent way

   nag

   worry persistently

   type of:

   disturb, trouble, upset

   move deeply
2. verb

   throw into great confusion or disorder
   synonyms: derange, throw out of kilter

   type of:

   disarray, disorder

   bring disorder to
3. verb

   disturb or interfere with the usual path of an electron or atom
   “The electrons were perturbed by the passing ion”

   type of:

   deviate

   cause to turn away from a previous or expected course
4. verb

   cause a celestial body to deviate from a theoretically regular orbital motion, especially as a result of interposed or extraordinary gravitational pull
   “The orbits of these stars were perturbed by the passings of a comet”

   type of:

   deviate

   cause to turn away from a previous or expected course