noun
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the state of being perplexed
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the state of being intricate or complicated
-
something that perplexes
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of perplexity
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English perplexite, from Old French, from Late Latin perplexitās, from Latin perplex(us) ( see perplexed) + -itās -ity
Explanation
Perplexity is confusion that results from something being complicated. The instruction manuals for computer components might put a look of perplexity on your face. If you think of the word complexity — which is when something is really intricate or involves lots of complicated parts — it might help you remember that perplexity is the state that results from complexity. You might experience perplexity at the complexity of the plays your coach has diagrammed, or perplexity at the complicated menu options at an Indian restaurant.
Vocabulary lists containing perplexity
The Jungle
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"Home" by Anton Chekhov
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myPerspectives 10.6
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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.
See Examples For:
In some cases, such as the dollar, price action has followed the usual playbook but the real perplexity lies in U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
The mainstream press expressed perplexity at his embrace of an Irish cultural identity "despite being born and raised in England".
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2025
“It seems that the sea was calm,” Francis said, seemingly expressing perplexity that such a grave tragedy could happen in those conditions.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 18, 2023
The two researchers had no idea what the animals were doing, and their perplexity increased as they watched a male goat approach a group of sheep.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 17, 2022
The perplexity of it all gnawed at him a great deal more than the meaning of Macbeth.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
The performances, too, are more likenesses than full characterizations, which, admittedly, is wholly in keeping with the perplexities being dramatized.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2024
Performance enhancement in sports is not a single problem with a single answer and a single cheating mode but rather a vast, multifaceted series of perplexities.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 11, 2022
The paper focuses, as Kripke puts in, on “the perplexities some philosophers have felt concerning the simple first person pronoun ‘I’.”
From Scientific American ● Aug. 17, 2019
Stephenson carefully lays out the perplexities of this situation.
From Slate ● Jun. 3, 2019
“I do suspect that in the midst of your perplexities at that time, you had very great amusement in tricking us all.—I am sure you had.—I am sure it was a consolation to you.”
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
