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
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.
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
My uncle turned from one to the other, completely at a nonplus, Rosalie in the meantime clinging to his breast and imploring him passionately to save her!
From Kate Coventry An Autobiography by Whyte-Melville, G. J.
Jupp was at a nonplus again; however, he tried to temporise with the mite, the more especially from his noticing that his little legs were quite mottled and his tiny fingers blue with cold.
From Teddy The Story of a Little Pickle by Hutcheson, John C. (John Conroy)
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.
He breathed quickly as if he had been running, yet having closed the door, he paused before he advanced into the room; and he seemed surprised, and at a nonplus.
From The Long Night by Weyman, Stanley John
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.
