perturbing

adjective

per·​turb·​ing pər-ˈtər-biŋ How to pronounce perturbing (audio)
: 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
Rowland had an odd feeling … that she might make, later, some perturbing discovery.Henry James
perturbingly adverb
The one memorable sequence in this perturbingly aimless piece is a pensive, wistful solo toward the start … Alan M. Kriegsman

Examples of perturbing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web 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

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perturbing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1559, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of perturbing was in 1559

Dictionary Entries Near perturbing

Cite this Entry

“Perturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perturbing. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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