Dictionary definition · perturb
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"
- disturb or interfere with the usual path of an electron or atom"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"The orbits of these stars were perturbed by the passings of a comet"
- throw into great confusion or disorder"Fundamentalists threaten to perturb the social order"
Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).