“Perturb” vs. “Disturb”: What’s the Difference?

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The difference between “perturb” and “disturb”

  • Perturb refers to causing a change or variation while disturb refers to causing an interruption or interference.
  • Perturb usually causes a feeling of anxiety or uneasiness while disturb usually causes a feeling of discomfort or annoyance.
  • Perturb can be used to describe both emotional and physical experiences while disturb usually describes physical or external experiences.
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What is the definition of “perturb” and “disturb”?

Perturb
  • To cause someone to feel anxious, upset or uneasy.
  • To disrupt the movement or position of something.
  • To cause a change or variation in something.
Disturb
  • To interrupt someone's peace, quiet, or rest.
  • To interfere with the normal functioning of something.
  • To cause a feeling of discomfort or concern.

Which is the more popular variant on the Internet?

“Disturb” is the more popular variant on the web.
Perturb
8,940,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. The loud music from next door perturbed my concentration while I was studying.
  2. The unexpected news perturbed him so much that he couldn't sleep all night.
  3. The slight change in the recipe perturbed the taste of the dish.
More popular
Disturb
110,000,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. Please do not disturb me while I am in a meeting with my client.
  2. The loud barking of the dog disturbed their peaceful evening walk.
  3. The disturbing news of the accident left them all in shock.
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