What is the meaning of perturb?

verb

  • Disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed.
    • usage: "She was rather perturbed by the news that her father was seriously ill"
  • Disturb or interfere with the usual path of an electron or atom.
    • usage: "The electrons were perturbed by the passing ion"
  • Cause a celestial body to deviate from a theoretically regular orbital motion, especially as a result of interposed or extraordinary gravitational pull.
    • usage: "The orbits of these stars were perturbed by the passings of a comet"
  • Throw into great confusion or disorder.
    • usage: "Fundamental Islamicists threaten to perturb the social order in Algeria and Egypt"
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APAWordNet. (2010). perturb. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/perturb/definitions/1301379
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "perturb" http://smartdefine.org/perturb/definitions/1301379 (accessed September 22, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, perturb, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/perturb/definitions/1301379>.
MLAWordNet. "perturb" 23 October 2010. Web. 22 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/perturb/definitions/1301379>
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