perturb
C1formal, academic, technical
Definition
Meaning
to make someone anxious or unsettled; to disturb mentally or emotionally
to cause a system, state, or situation to become disordered or unstable; to interfere with normal functioning
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a deeper, more lasting disturbance than 'disturb' or 'bother'; carries connotations of throwing something out of its normal equilibrium
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage; both varieties use it similarly in formal contexts
Connotations
Slightly more common in British academic writing, but equally formal in both
Frequency
Low-frequency word in both varieties, primarily found in written registers
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
perturb someoneperturb somethingbe perturbed by somethingbe perturbed that...Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “perturb the peace”
- “perturb the equilibrium”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; might appear in formal reports about market stability being perturbed by external factors
Academic
Common in psychology, physics, and social sciences to describe disturbances to systems or mental states
Everyday
Very rare; would sound overly formal in casual conversation
Technical
Frequent in physics/engineering describing perturbations to systems, and in psychology describing emotional disturbance
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The sudden noise didn't just startle him—it profoundly perturbed his concentration.
- Such political instability could perturb the entire economic system for years.
American English
- The test results perturbed the researchers more than they expected.
- Don't let minor setbacks perturb your overall strategy.
adverb
British English
- He watched perturbedly as the situation unfolded.
- She spoke perturbedly about the recent changes.
American English
- The CEO reacted perturbedly to the quarterly report.
- He glanced perturbedly at his watch during the meeting.
adjective
British English
- She gave him a perturbed look when he mentioned the missing documents.
- His perturbed state was evident from his restless pacing.
American English
- The perturbed expression on her face told me something was wrong.
- He tried to hide his perturbed feelings about the merger.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Loud noises can perturb some animals.
- The bad news perturbed her all day.
- The scientist didn't want to perturb the delicate experiment.
- His strange behaviour began to perturb his colleagues.
- Even minor fluctuations in temperature can perturb the chemical reaction's equilibrium.
- The philosopher argued that technological advances perturb traditional social structures in unforeseen ways.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'TURBulence' on a flight - both PERTURB and TURBulence disturb your peace and equilibrium
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTIONAL STABILITY IS PHYSICAL BALANCE (perturbing emotions is like knocking something off balance)
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating as 'пертурбация' (too technical/rare), 'беспокоить' is too weak; better: 'выводить из равновесия', 'тревожить глубоко'
Common Mistakes
- Using 'perturb' in casual contexts where 'bother' or 'worry' would be natural
- Confusing with 'disturb' (perturb is more internal/emotional)
- Using as a noun (perturbation is the noun form)
Practice
Quiz
Which context is MOST appropriate for 'perturb'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Perturb' suggests a deeper, more psychological or systemic disturbance, often throwing something out of equilibrium. 'Disturb' is more general and can refer to physical interruption or mild bother.
It's quite formal and would sound unnatural in casual speech. Use 'bother', 'worry', or 'upset' instead in everyday contexts.
'Perturbation' is the noun, commonly used in scientific contexts to describe a disturbance to a system.
Yes, the adjective 'perturbed' and past participle 'be perturbed' are more frequently encountered than the active verb form.