nonplus
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to render utterly perplexed by something unexpected; puzzle completely.
He nonplussed his questioners by answering in riddles.
- Synonyms:
- disconcert, confound, confuse, perplex
-
to cause to feel indifferent, calm, or unexcited.
The shoppers were entirely nonplussed by the disturbance in the street, continuing to gaze at window displays as they strolled along.
noun
verb
noun
Usage
See nonplussed ( def. ).
Etymology
Origin of nonplus
First recorded in 1575–85; (noun) from Latin nōn plūs literally, “not more, no further,” that is, a state in which nothing more can be done
Explanation
To nonplus is to baffle or confuse someone to the point that they have nothing to say. Something weird and mysterious can nonplus you, like a play that is performed entirely by chickens. If you know a little French or Latin, you'll recognize that "non plus" means "no more." When something bewildering nonpluses you, there's no more you can say or do about it. A goal of getting poor grades, running with a bad crowd, and refusing to eat would leave your parents nonplussed. Sometimes people misuse nonplus to mean "unimpressed," but that's not correct: to nonplus is to puzzle, confuse, and dumbfound.
Vocabulary lists containing nonplus
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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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.
See Examples For:
He found cross-examinations mentally invigorating, soon learned that he could nonplus storming attorneys if he kept smiling no matter how galling their insinuations.
From Time Magazine Archive
It happened most fortunately that there were a number of Chippewayan Indians encamped on the spot at the time, else we should have been completely at a nonplus.
From Notes of a Twenty-Five Years' Service in the Hudson's Bay Territory Volume II. by M'lean, John
He finds doubts and scruples better than resolves them, and has always some argument to nonplus himself.
From Microcosmography or, a Piece of the World Discovered; in Essays and Characters by Earle, John
Even these hide and seek tactics did not long nonplus the "snipers"; their adaptability was equal to the occasion.
From The Siege of Kimberley by Phelan, T.
Sir Julian, thou dost nonplus my understanding of myself absurdly.
From Mistress Penwick by Payne, Dutton
A genial man in person, Mr. Connick appeared nonplused in his later years over a reputation that had been severely tainted.
From New York Times ● Jan. 27, 2024
Jamie, who was the team’s best player before Zava’s arrival, is visibly nonplused.
From New York Times ● Mar. 29, 2023
But even sophisticated cocktail consumers were nonplused by his pitch, so he switched to a more accessible product: applejack.
From New York Times ● Feb. 2, 2021
And this, in turn, has left some of his peers nonplused — grumbling at what they see as a flimsy theory or bewildered as to why Harvard’s top astronomer won’t shut up about aliens.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 4, 2019
“I sure could use some lumber for my front porch,” he said, nonplused.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
The unflappable Lincoln might have been a little nonplussed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
For now, investors appear nonplussed about potential disruptions to regional supply flows.
From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026
Ford, who died of natural causes at age 93 in 2006, was said to be nonplussed by Moore’s attempt on his life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2025
"This is how I'd do it if I was DJ," he tells a group of nonplussed staff as dance music strains at his laptop speakers.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2025
Perplexed, Harry looked to Hermione for help, but she shook her head, apparently as nonplussed as he was.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Weaver, however, verged on nonplussing co-hosts Brian Williams and Rachel Maddow, as well as reporter Steve Kornacki, MSNBC's millennial version of CNN's king-of-the-"Magic Wall" John King.
From US News ● Apr. 20, 2016
Our higher officials are fond as a rule of nonplussing their subordinates; the methods to which they have recourse to attain that end are rather various.
From Fathers and Children by Turgenev, Ivan Sergeevich
It is closely woven in with that of Poindexter, and presents one feature which may occasion you no surprise, but which, I own, came near nonplussing me.
From The Circular Study by Green, Anna Katharine
The question was awkward, nonplussing Jerky, and, the second time, calling for explanation from his sister; who, however, promptly vouchsafed it.
From No Quarter! by Reid, Mayne
He received visitors with the graciousness of the courteous head of a department, who resigns himself to listen to demands, allowing them to talk as he smiled faintly, and nonplussing them by his calmness.
From Une Vie, a Piece of String and Other Stories by Maupassant, Guy de
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.
