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
Synonyms
Examples of perturbing in a Sentence
the perturbing news meant that we'd have to end our vacation prematurely
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
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
Dictionary Entries Near perturbing
Cite this Entry
“Perturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perturbing. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share