imperturbable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of imperturbable
1490–1500; < Late Latin imperturbābilis. See im- 2, perturbable ( def. )
Explanation
If you're imperturbable you are not easily upset. If your goal is to be imperturbable, then you can't let things bother you or get you stressed, confused, or angry. The adjective imperturbable is the flip side of perturbable, which comes from perturb, which in turn traces back to the Latin word perturbare, meaning “to confuse” or “to disturb.” If something really annoying is going on, like one neighbor is jack-hammering his driveway and another has a dog that's barking while you're trying to sleep because you were up all night studying and you really really need a nap, but you stay calm and don’t get upset, you are imperturbable.
Vocabulary lists containing imperturbable
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Mellow Out: Synonyms for "Calm"
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The Jungle
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That was part of Federer’s tennis mystique: the elegant, imperturbable calm, the way he almost never let the pressure boil and send him over the edge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Paul Newman’s posthumous memoir, “The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man,” sheds light on a seemingly imperturbable Hollywood star.
From New York Times ● Oct. 17, 2022
“Welcome to the Grand Canyon!” says our guide, Karla Kennedy, a tall, imperturbable veteran of some 12 rim-to-rim hikes this year alone.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 4, 2021
They often suggest the imperturbable spontaneity of jazz musicians reacting to one another.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 16, 2021
He was imperturbable on the witness stand and treated the prosecutors as though they were errant students who needed stern admonishment.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
