imperturbable

UK/ˌɪmpəˈtɜːbəbl̩/US/ˌɪmpəɹˈtɜɹbəb(ə)l/

adjectiveC2Very rare — outside the 30,000 commonest English words, so you will meet it in writing rather than in speechToo rare in one of the two pools to compare — fewer than 20 uses in speech or in writing

Imperturbable means impossible to upset or fluster. An imperturbable calm.

It describes a temperament rather than an effort, which is what makes it so enviable. An imperturbable person is restful to be near and occasionally infuriating.

Definitions of imperturbable

1adjectiveimperturbableImpossible to upset or fluster.C2
“The chairman was imperturbable through three hours of shouting.”

imperturbable is a quality.

Where it comes from

Latin imperturbabilis, from in-, not, plus perturbare, to throw into confusion.

Proto-Indo-European
*per-
Latin
imperturbābilis
Middle English
imperturbable — undisturbed; impossible to disturb
English, today
imperturbable

Built from

turbō · Latin — to agitate, disturb, unsettle, perturb; to upset
turba · Latin — disorder, disturbance, turmoil

From Late Middle English imperturbable (“undisturbed; impossible to disturb”), borrowed from Latin imperturbābilis, from Latin im- (variant of in-) + Latin perturbabilis (“perturbable”) (from Latin perturbō (“to confuse; to alarm, disturb, trouble, perturb”) + -bilis). Perturbō is derived from per- + turbō (“to agitate, disturb, unsettle, perturb; to upset”) (from turba (“disorder, disturbance, turmoil”) (possibly from Ancient Greek τῠ́ρβη (“confusion, disorder, tumult”), either from qsb-grc, or Proto-Indo-European (s)twerH- (“to agitate, stir up; to urge on, propel”)) + -ō). by surface analysis, im- + perturbable.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

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