imperturbable

English

Etymology

From Middle English imperturbable, from Middle French imperturbable and directly from Late Latin imperturbābilis, from im- + perturbō + -bilis. By surface analysis, im- +‎ perturbable.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌɪmpəˈtɜːbəbəl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌɪmpɚˈtɝbəbəl/

  • Audio (General American):

    (file)

Adjective

imperturbable (comparative more imperturbable, superlative most imperturbable)

1. Not easily perturbed, excited, or upset; calm and collected, even under pressure
   • 1815 February 24, [Walter Scott], chapter VIII, in Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and Archibald Constable and Co., […], →OCLC, page 116:

     [T]he good Dominie bore all his disasters with gravity and serenity equally imperturbable. "Prodi-gi-ous!" was the only ejaculation they ever extorted from the much-enduring man.

   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Poverty”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 280:

     "We may keep it by us," replied the pawnbroker, "for months; there is no demand for such articles." "But," exclaimed she, eagerly, "I shall soon redeem it!" "So you all say," returned the man, with imperturbable coolness.

   • 1962 August, G. Freeman Allen, “Traffic Control on the Great Northern Line”, in Modern Railways, Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 132:

     This sort of thing is meat and drink to the born Controller—and Controllers are born with the right imperturbable temperament for the job; hence the fact that they are recruited from many different grades of operating staff, and some recruits don't stay the course.

Translations

not easily perturbed

• Bulgarian: невъзмутим (bg) (nevǎzmutim)
• Catalan: impertorbable
• Finnish: järkähtämätön, järkkymätön (fi), rauhallinen (fi), tyyni (fi)
• French: imperturbable (fr)
• Galician: imperturbable (gl)
• German: unerschütterlich (de)
• Greek: αθορύβητος (el) (athorývitos)
• Irish: fuarchúiseach
• Italian: imperturbabile (it)
• Maori: taumauri
• Occitan: imperturbable
• Polish: niewzruszony (pl)
• Portuguese: imperturbável (pt)
• Russian: невозмутимый (ru) (nevozmutimyj)
• Spanish: imperturbable (es)
• Ukrainian: незвору́шний (nezvorúšnyj)

French

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin imperturbābilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.pɛʁ.tyʁ.babl/

Adjective

imperturbable (plural imperturbables)

1. imperturbable; unflappable

Derived terms

• imperturbablement

See also

• inébranlable

Further reading

• “imperturbable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Galician

Alternative forms

• imperturbábel

Etymology

From Late Latin imperturbābilis.

Adjective

imperturbable m or f (plural imperturbables)

1. imperturbable

Derived terms

• imperturbabilidade
• imperturbablemente

Further reading

• “imperturbable”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2024

Occitan

Etymology

From Late Latin imperturbābilis.

Adjective

imperturbable m (feminine singular imperturbabla, masculine plural imperturbables, feminine plural imperturbablas)

1. imperturbable

Derived terms

• imperturbabilitat
• imperturbablament

Spanish

Etymology

From Late Latin imperturbābilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /impeɾtuɾˈbable/ [ĩm.peɾ.t̪uɾˈβ̞a.β̞le]
• Rhymes: -able
• Syllabification: im‧per‧tur‧ba‧ble

Adjective

imperturbable m or f (masculine and feminine plural imperturbables)

1. imperturbable, unflappable, undisturbed, unruffled, unperturbed

Derived terms

• imperturbabilidad
• imperturbablemente

 

Further reading

• “imperturbable”, in Diccionario de la lengua española (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy, 2023 November 28