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
But it must needs be condemned, because it renders the character of the term ambiguous, and is such a grammatical difficulty as puts the parser at a dead nonplus.
From The Grammar of English Grammars by Goold Brown
Loth to go to Hell and put to a nonplus, David built a nest in a tree in Richmond Park, and he paused therein to consider which way to proceed.
From My Neighbors Stories of the Welsh People by Caradoc Evans
He wanted to nonplus and disconcert her, if such a thing were possible.
From The Dark House by I. A. R. (Ida Alexa Ross) Wylie
The scholars were cogent reasoners, and a show of staves soon brought their opponents to a nonplus.
From Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 1 by Lucia Isabella Gilbert Runkle
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
Ronstadt even seemed nonplused about the Kennedy Center Honor she will receive in Washington in December.
From New York Times ● Sep. 5, 2019
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
Collections by new designer Demna are going down well with American consumers, but shoppers everywhere else are nonplussed so far.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
In a brief phone interview, a worker at Unique Bite Eatery in Indio appeared nonplussed and said there was no damage at the restaurant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2026
Durant appeared nonplussed by the spat, while admitting that he had deliberately taken a combative approach into the game.
From Barron's ● Dec. 21, 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
He bolted out of the restaurant, leaving his nonplussed dinner guests behind, to view the evidence for himself.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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
Dismissing this nonplussing phase, I turned to the subject of the gem once more.
From The Paternoster Ruby by Charles Edmonds Walk
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 Anna Katharine Green
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 Mayne Reid
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 Guy de Maupassant
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.
