perturbing
adjective
per·turb·ing
pər-ˈtər-biŋ 
: causing worry, upset, or concern : unsettling
… the absence of mail was somehow just as perturbing as its presence, and it made him feel strangely on edge.—
Bentley Little
Bentley LittleRowland had an odd feeling … that she might make, later, some perturbing discovery.—Henry James
Henry James
perturbingly
adverb
The one memorable sequence in this perturbingly aimless piece is a pensive, wistful solo toward the start …
—Alan M. Kriegsman
Alan M. Kriegsman
Examples of perturbing in a Sentence
the perturbing news meant that we'd have to end our vacation prematurely
Recent Examples on the Web
Brown said the broader language in the bill that’s perturbing foreign investors is likely intended to be a safeguard against semantic workarounds for instituting digital service taxes and subsidiary top-up taxes — not to be a general-purpose punitive tool in an escalating trade war.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 11 June 2025
The new and somewhat perturbing actions that have been observed in early trials of the most advanced models comes from the disjunction between the AI's advanced capabilities and its fundamental lack of human-like moral reasoning or emotional capacity.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
But Citron has proved to be one of the most surefire defensive options in this year’s draft, pairing a perturbing timing off the ball with her notable length at 6-foot-1 to grow into one of the nation’s most disruptive defenders.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
Even more perturbing is the possibility that the gangs, which have grown more independent from their past elite sponsors, could put forward their own candidates.
—Renata Segura, Foreign Affairs, 29 Aug. 2024
Peters, affecting an unnervingly flat Wisconsin accent, gets to give yet another perturbing performance.
—Caroline Framke, Variety, 21 Sep. 2022
These questions remain as A Lot of Nothing careens to a shock-value ending that’s more perturbing than exciting.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2022
The same perturbing pattern was seen within a year of the introduction of the antibiotic methicillin in 1961, a drug specifically designed to treat penicillin-resistant S. aureus.
—Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 29 Nov. 2016
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tobias Burns, The Hill, 11 June 2025
The new and somewhat perturbing actions that have been observed in early trials of the most advanced models comes from the disjunction between the AI's advanced capabilities and its fundamental lack of human-like moral reasoning or emotional capacity.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
But Citron has proved to be one of the most surefire defensive options in this year’s draft, pairing a perturbing timing off the ball with her notable length at 6-foot-1 to grow into one of the nation’s most disruptive defenders.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
Even more perturbing is the possibility that the gangs, which have grown more independent from their past elite sponsors, could put forward their own candidates.
—Renata Segura, Foreign Affairs, 29 Aug. 2024
Peters, affecting an unnervingly flat Wisconsin accent, gets to give yet another perturbing performance.
—Caroline Framke, Variety, 21 Sep. 2022
These questions remain as A Lot of Nothing careens to a shock-value ending that’s more perturbing than exciting.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2022
The same perturbing pattern was seen within a year of the introduction of the antibiotic methicillin in 1961, a drug specifically designed to treat penicillin-resistant S. aureus.
—Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 29 Nov. 2016
Cite this Entry
“Perturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perturbing. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share