Synonyms

perplexing

American

[per-plek-sing] / pərˈplɛk sɪŋ /

adjective

puzzling or bewildering; hard to understand, figure out, or solve.

One of the most perplexing aspects of owning a cat is trying to decipher its various body movements and meows.
The history of the universe is one of the most perplexing subjects of all time.

Other Word Forms

perplexingly adverb
unperplexing adjective

Etymology

Origin of perplexing

perplex ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

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.

Ultimately, “In the Days of My Youth” confronts readers with a perplexing question: Can someone be a good father but a bad man?

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

However, it has been “a little perplexing why stocks have sold off the way they have” for the most recent round of IPOs, he said.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

"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 • Jan. 15, 2026

It’s both perplexing and extremely telling that “Hamnet” doesn’t let the viewer see the world through Hamnet’s eyes until the boy is near death, cast into a world between ours and the next one.

From Salon • Nov. 30, 2025

Of the six cast members of Good Boys and True, Courtney is the most enigmatic and easily the most perplexing.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023