Synonyms

perplexed

American

[per-plekst] / pərˈplɛkst /

adjective

bewildered; puzzled.

a perplexed state of mind.
complicated; involved; entangled.

Other Word Forms

perplexedly adverb
perplexedness noun
self-perplexed adjective
unperplexed adjective

Etymology

Origin of perplexed

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English perplex “confused,” from Latin perplexus ( per-, complex ) + -ed ²

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 growing numbers of younger people being diagnosed with bowel cancer has left doctors worldwide perplexed.

From Barron's

But being up close like this, I saw something that both captivated and perplexed me.

From The Wall Street Journal

He is perplexed by a potential state intervention but he empathizes with young people looking to keep their hair longer.

From The Wall Street Journal

Even Mr. Kuitenbrouwer is sometimes disarmingly perplexed by his reverence for all things related to maple syrup.

From The Wall Street Journal

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