Definition of 'perturb'
Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense perturbs, present participle perturbing, past tense, past participle perturbed
1. transitive verb
2. See also perturbed
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
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Word Frequency
perturb in American English
verb transitive
SIMILAR WORDS: disˈturb
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
perturbable (perˈturbable)
adjective
perturbedly (perˈturbedly)
adverb
perturber (perˈturber)
noun
Word origin
ME perturben < MFr perturber < L perturbare < per-, intens. + turbare, to disturb: see turbidWord Frequency
perturb in American English
(pərˈtɜːrb)
transitive verb
SYNONYMS 1. trouble. 2. confuse, addle, muddle.ANTONYMS 1. pacify.2.
to throw into great disorder; derange
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
perturbable adjective
perturbability
noun
perturbatious (ˌpɜːrtərˈbeiʃəs)
adjective
perturbedly (pərˈtɜːrbɪdli)
adverb
perturbedness
noun
perturber or perturbator (ˈpɜːrtərˌbeitər)
noun
perturbingly
adverb
perturbment
noun
Word origin
[1325–75; ME perturben (‹ OF perturber) ‹ L perturbāre to throw into confusion, equiv. to per- per- + turbāre to disturb; see turbid]Word Frequency
perturb in British English
verb (tr; often passive)
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
perturbable (perˈturbable) adjective
perturbably (perˈturbably)
adverb
perturbing (perˈturbing)
adjective
perturbingly (perˈturbingly)
adverb
Word origin
C14: from Old French pertourber, from Latin perturbāre to confuse, from per- (intensive) + turbāre to agitate, from turba confusion
Examples of 'perturb' in a sentence
perturb
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Definition of perturb from the Collins English Dictionary
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