perplexed
Americanadjective
-
bewildered; puzzled.
a perplexed state of mind.
-
complicated; involved; entangled.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of perplexed
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English perplex “confused,” from Latin perplexus ( see per-, complex) + -ed 2
Explanation
Use the adjective perplexed to describe someone who is utterly baffled or confused. If you've ever studied for the wrong test and been surprised and confused by the exam in front of you, you've been perplexed. There's a particular bewildered kind of facial expression that goes along with the word perplexed. It's the kind of emotion that's hard to disguise. The Latin root perplexus means "confused or entangled," and "entangled" is a great way to imagine the tangled thoughts and confusion of someone who's perplexed.
Vocabulary lists containing perplexed
The Crucible
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Emotions on Display
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In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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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.
The perplexed faces of the agency people in those conference rooms feel familiar to me today.
From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026
When Tamjidi told some older customers about the silent reading party, she said they were perplexed, asking, “Wait, so they would come and sit with each other, not talk, but just read silently?”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
The official he first informs of this is plainly perplexed as to how such contact was made, but careful not to complain.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
I was perplexed that Rabbi Levine’s excellent piece left out a critical element: The story’s climax isn’t only the execution of Haman and his family of henchmen.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026
But he himself did not sound particularly happy and once again Hazel felt oddly perplexed.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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.
