perplexed

[per-plekst]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR perplexed ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

bewildered; puzzled: a perplexed state of mind.

complicated; involved; entangled.

Origin of perplexed

1350–1400; Middle English perplex confused (< Latin perplexus; see per-, complex) + -ed²

Related formsper·plex·ed·ly

[per-plek-sid-lee] /pərˈplɛk sɪd li/, adverbper·plex·ed·ness, nounself-per·plexed, adjectiveun·per·plexed, adjective

perplex

[per-pleks]

verb (used with object)

to cause to be puzzled or bewildered over what is not understood or certain; confuse mentally: Her strange response perplexed me.

to make complicated or confused, as a matter or question.

to hamper with complications, confusion, or uncertainty.

Origin of perplex

First recorded in 1585–95; back formation from perplexed

Related formsper·plex·er, nounper·plex·ing·ly, adverbun·per·plex·ing, adjective

Synonyms for perplex

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR perplex ON THESAURUS.COM

1. mystify, confound. 2. tangle, snarl. 3. vex, annoy, bother.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for perplexed

bewildered, uncertain, puzzled, troubled, complicated, confusing, bewildering, complex, difficult, intricate

Examples from the Web for perplexed

Contemporary Examples of perplexed

In fact, a number of officers were perplexed that religious freedom was considered to be a serious issue within the service.
U.S. Air Force: Swear to God—or Get Out
Dave Majumdar
September 8, 2014
A young Martin, perplexed by this, asked his parents for an explanation.
Bigotry Is Back, 60 Years After Brown v. Board of Education
Dean Obeidallah
May 17, 2014
But little has perplexed me in recent years quite so much as the supposed miracle that is Soylent.
Doc Says No to Soylent
Russell Saunders
May 13, 2014
But after the fifth consecutive call—the vibration interrupting my conversation with perplexed hosts—I politely stepped away.
On the Hunt for Treviño Morales, Zetas Leader
Alfredo Corchado
August 6, 2013
The New York Times also quoted Diana Buttu, an Arab-Israeli lawyer who said she was perplexed that Kerry sounded so upbeat.
Why Cautious Optimism is the Right Approach to Kerry's Efforts
Alan Elsner
July 2, 2013

Historical Examples of perplexed

He felt committed for labor; glad was he, very, yet perplexed.
Ester Ried Yet Speaking
Isabella Alden
Light of some sort began to dawn on the perplexed faces of the gentlemen.
Ester Ried Yet Speaking
Isabella Alden
"But there wasn't any shot," the perplexed and alarmed detective expostulated.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
Presently he came down again, his face looking drawn and perplexed.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser
Mr. Blackwell, abashed and perplexed, returned to his companion.
Night and Morning, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

British Dictionary definitions for perplexed

perplex

verb (tr)

to puzzle; bewilder; confuse

to complicateto perplex an issue

Word Origin for perplex

C15: from obsolete perplex (adj) intricate, from Latin perplexus entangled, from per- (thoroughly) + plectere to entwine

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for perplexed

adj.

late 15c., past participle adjective; see perplex. A case of a past participle form attested centuries before the verb (perplex isn't recorded until 17c.). Related: Perplexedly; perplexedness.

perplex

late 14c. as an adjective, "perplexed, puzzled, bewildered," from Latin perplexus "involved, confused, intricate;" but Latin had no corresponding verb *perplectere. The Latin compound would be per "through" (see per) + plexus "entangled," past participle of plectere "to twine, braid, fold" (see complex (adj.)).

The form of the English adjective shifted to perplexed by late 15c., probably to conform to other past participle adjectives. The verb is latest attested of the group, in 1590s, evidently a back-formation from the adjective. Related: Perplexing, which well describes the history of the word.