perplexity

[ per-plek-si-tee ]

/ pərˈplɛk sɪ ti /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for perplexity on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural per·plex·i·ties.

the state of being perplexed; confusion; uncertainty.

something that perplexes: a case plagued with perplexities.

a tangled, involved, or confused condition or situation.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of perplexity

1350–1400; Middle English perplexite<Old French <Late Latin perplexitās, equivalent to Latin perplex(us) (see perplexed) + -itās-ity

Words nearby perplexity

perpetuity, perphenazine, Perpignan, perplex, perplexed, perplexity, per pro., per procurationem, perp walk, perquisite, Perrault

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use perplexity in a sentence

Amid all the perplexities, some ad tech executives have teased out some clarity.
Google’s opaque practices to restrict fingerprinting create confusion among its ad tech partners|Kate Kaye|June 3, 2021|Digiday
Perhaps the best illustration of the perplexities involved in studying vitamin D in athletes comes from a two-part Bangor University study from 2018.
Reevaluating Vitamin D as a Sports Supplement|Alex Hutchinson|January 20, 2021|Outside Online
The Company is in complete shock and perplexity to the news.
China’s top chipmaker could be Trump’s next target in the trade war|eamonbarrett|September 9, 2020|Fortune
It is the perplexity of this situation that has caused most of the paralysis in Congress.
Democracy Demands a Journalist-Source Shield Law|Geoffrey R. Stone|April 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

I am not sure how helpful that is, except that the communing certainly keeps us from feeling totally isolated in our perplexity.
Susan Minot on Africa, Joseph Kony, and the Limits of Writing About Love|Lea Carpenter|February 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Greeted with derision in some corners and perplexity in others, the movement's new magazine launches at CPAC today.
Steven Allen: The Tea Party’s Editor in Chief|David A. Graham|February 10, 2011|DAILY BEAST
This change in plan was a source of perplexity bordering on irritation to the Queen.
Why William and Kate Held Off Again|Tina Brown|June 8, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Davy read this over two or three times, in the greatest perplexity, and then gave it up in despair.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
Miss Anne smiled kindly, not dreaming of his perplexity, amused by his Southern warmth.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
For he knew that her suffering and her deep perplexity were somewhere, somehow almost equal to his own.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
But before he had been in San Pasquale an hour, he was plunged into a perplexity and disappointment deeper than he had yet felt.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
When, in reply to his questions in regard to Alessandro's wife, Felipe heard her spoken of as "Majella," his perplexity deepened.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson

British Dictionary definitions for perplexity

perplexity

/ (pəˈplɛksɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the state of being perplexed

the state of being intricate or complicated

something that perplexes

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

perplexity

Origin of perplexity

Words nearby perplexity

Words related to perplexity

How to use perplexity in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for perplexity