perplex
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per·plex
(pər-plĕks′)tr.v. per·plexed, per·plex·ing, per·plex·es
1. To confuse or trouble with uncertainty or doubt.
2. To make confusedly intricate; complicate: poorly informed opinions that only perplex the subject.
[Back-formation from Middle English perplexed, puzzled; see perplexed.]
per·plex′ing·ly adv.
Synonyms: perplex, mystify, bewilder, confound, puzzle
These verbs mean to cause bafflement or confusion. Perplex stresses uncertainty or anxiety, as over reaching an understanding or finding a solution: "No subject at the Philadelphia convention had perplexed the delegates more than the mode of choosing the president" (Susan Dunn).
Mystify implies something inexplicable by conventional understanding: "Galileo was mystified by the disappearance of the two smaller bodies accompanying Saturn along its orbit" (Eric Burgess).
Bewilder emphasizes extreme mental confusion: " We human beings are ... bewildered when trying to imagine a world with more than three dimensions" (Paul Davies).
To confound is to confuse and astonish: God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise (I Corinthians 1:27).
Puzzle suggests difficulty in solving or interpreting something: "The poor creature puzzled me once ... by a question merely natural and innocent" (Daniel Defoe).
These verbs mean to cause bafflement or confusion. Perplex stresses uncertainty or anxiety, as over reaching an understanding or finding a solution: "No subject at the Philadelphia convention had perplexed the delegates more than the mode of choosing the president" (Susan Dunn).
Mystify implies something inexplicable by conventional understanding: "Galileo was mystified by the disappearance of the two smaller bodies accompanying Saturn along its orbit" (Eric Burgess).
Bewilder emphasizes extreme mental confusion: " We human beings are ... bewildered when trying to imagine a world with more than three dimensions" (Paul Davies).
To confound is to confuse and astonish: God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise (I Corinthians 1:27).
Puzzle suggests difficulty in solving or interpreting something: "The poor creature puzzled me once ... by a question merely natural and innocent" (Daniel Defoe).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
perplex
(pəˈplɛks)vb (tr)
1. to puzzle; bewilder; confuse
2. to complicate: to perplex an issue.
[C15: from obsolete perplex (adj) intricate, from Latin perplexus entangled, from per- (thoroughly) + plectere to entwine]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
per•plex
(pərˈplɛks)v.t.
1. to cause to be puzzled or bewildered over what is not understood or certain.
2. to make complicated; confuse.
3. to hamper with complications, confusion, or uncertainty.
[1585–95; back formation from perplexed]
per•plex′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
perplex
Past participle: perplexed
Gerund: perplexing
| Imperative |
|---|
| perplex |
| perplex |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Verb | 1. |  perplex - be a mystery or bewildering to; "This beats me!"; "Got me--I don't know the answer!"; "a vexing problem"; "This question really stuck me"bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, baffle, mystify, nonplus, puzzle, stupefy, amaze, gravel, vex, pose, stick, beat, get befuddle, confound, confuse, discombobulate, fox, bedevil, fuddle, throw - be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly; "These questions confuse even the experts"; "This question completely threw me"; "This question befuddled even the teacher" riddle - set a difficult problem or riddle; "riddle me a riddle" |
| 2. | perplex - make more complicated; "There was a new development that complicated the matter" alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" complexify - make complex; "he unnecessarily complexified every problem" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
perplex
verb puzzle, confuse, stump, baffle, bewilder, muddle, confound, beset, mystify, faze, befuddle, flummox, bemuse, dumbfound, nonplus, mix you up problems that perplexed me
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
perplex
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يُحَيِّر، يُرْبِك
zmást
forvirregøre perpleks
rugla, gera ráîvilltan
aptulbęs
apmulsināt
perplex
[pəˈpleks] VT (= puzzle) → dejar perplejo; (= confuse) → desconcertar, confundir; [+ situation, issue] → complicarCollins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
perplex
[pərˈplɛks] vt [+ person] → rendre perplexe, plonger dans la perplexitéto be perplexed by sth → être perplexe devant qch
Bankers are perplexed by the sudden rise in inflation → Les banquiers sont perplexes devant l'augmentation soudaine de l'inflation., L'augmentation soudaine de l'inflation plonge les banquiers dans la perplexité.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
perplex
vt → verblüffen, verdutzen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
perplex
[pəˈplɛks] vt → lasciare perplesso/aI was perplexed by his behaviour → il suo comportamento mi ha lasciato perplesso
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
perplex
(pəˈpleks) verb to puzzle or confuse (someone); to make (someone) unable to understand. She was perplexed by his questions.
perˈplexed adjectiveperˈplexedly (-ˈpleksid-) adverb
perˈplexity noun
She stood there in perplexity.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.