perplex
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cause to be puzzled or bewildered over what is not understood or certain; confuse mentally.
Her strange response perplexed me.
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to make complicated or confused, as a matter or question.
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to hamper with complications, confusion, or uncertainty.
verb
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to puzzle; bewilder; confuse
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to complicate
to perplex an issue
Other Word Forms
- perplexer noun
Etymology
Origin of perplex
First recorded in 1585–95; back formation from perplexed
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.
"At a time when the literacy levels are a concern why you would end a programme that you know is impactful and helps children with their reading seems a bit perplexing to us."
From BBC
He is perplexed by a potential state intervention but he empathizes with young people looking to keep their hair longer.
And while every film doesn’t need to be an intensely demanding challenge, it’s perplexing that someone with such a compelling on-screen presence has trouble translating that force to her first outing as a director.
From Salon
Even Mr. Kuitenbrouwer is sometimes disarmingly perplexed by his reverence for all things related to maple syrup.
When she and her family inevitably left town and didn’t stumble upon Charlie Brown and his motley crew, she was perplexed.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
