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 |
| Present |
|---|
| I perplex |
| you perplex |
| he/she/it perplexes |
| we perplex |
| you perplex |
| they perplex |
| Preterite |
|---|
| I perplexed |
| you perplexed |
| he/she/it perplexed |
| we perplexed |
| you perplexed |
| they perplexed |
| Present Continuous |
|---|
| I am perplexing |
| you are perplexing |
| he/she/it is perplexing |
| we are perplexing |
| you are perplexing |
| they are perplexing |
| Present Perfect |
|---|
| I have perplexed |
| you have perplexed |
| he/she/it has perplexed |
| we have perplexed |
| you have perplexed |
| they have perplexed |
| Past Continuous |
|---|
| I was perplexing |
| you were perplexing |
| he/she/it was perplexing |
| we were perplexing |
| you were perplexing |
| they were perplexing |
| Past Perfect |
|---|
| I had perplexed |
| you had perplexed |
| he/she/it had perplexed |
| we had perplexed |
| you had perplexed |
| they had perplexed |
| Future |
|---|
| I will perplex |
| you will perplex |
| he/she/it will perplex |
| we will perplex |
| you will perplex |
| they will perplex |
| Future Perfect |
|---|
| I will have perplexed |
| you will have perplexed |
| he/she/it will have perplexed |
| we will have perplexed |
| you will have perplexed |
| they will have perplexed |
| Future Continuous |
|---|
| I will be perplexing |
| you will be perplexing |
| he/she/it will be perplexing |
| we will be perplexing |
| you will be perplexing |
| they will be perplexing |
| Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I have been perplexing |
| you have been perplexing |
| he/she/it has been perplexing |
| we have been perplexing |
| you have been perplexing |
| they have been perplexing |
| Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I will have been perplexing |
| you will have been perplexing |
| he/she/it will have been perplexing |
| we will have been perplexing |
| you will have been perplexing |
| they will have been perplexing |
| Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I had been perplexing |
| you had been perplexing |
| he/she/it had been perplexing |
| we had been perplexing |
| you had been perplexing |
| they had been perplexing |
| Conditional |
|---|
| I would perplex |
| you would perplex |
| he/she/it would perplex |
| we would perplex |
| you would perplex |
| they would perplex |
| Past Conditional |
|---|
| I would have perplexed |
| you would have perplexed |
| he/she/it would have perplexed |
| we would have perplexed |
| you would have perplexed |
| they would have perplexed |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Verb 1. perplex - be a mystery or bewildering toperplex - 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. verbyster يُحَيِّر، يُرْبِك обърквам desorientar zmást verwirren gøre perpleks; forvirre μπερδεύω, σαστίζω dejar perplejo, desconcertar kimbatusse viima گیج کردن hämmentyä rendre perplexe לְבַלבֵּל व्याकुल करना smesti, staviti pred zagonetku megzavar membingungkan rugla, gera ráðvilltan confondere, rendere perplesso まごつかせる 당혹하게 하다 (su)gluminti, apstulbinti apmulsināt membingungkan verbluffen forvirre, gjøre rådvill zbijać z tropu اريانول، سرګردانول، مغشوشول desorientar a rămâne perplex ставить в тупик; запутывать zmiasť zmesti zbuniti förvirra, förbrylla, göra perplex ทําให้งุนงง şaşırtmak 困惑 ставити в безвихідь; спантеличувати الجھانا، حيران کرنا khó hiểu 困惑
perˈplexed adjective verbysterd مُتَحَيِّر، مُرْتَبِك объркан perplexo popletený verwirrt perpleks; forvirret σαστισμένος, απορημένος perplejo, confuso hämmingus گیج؛ پیچیده hämmentynyt perplexe מְבוּלבַּל हैरान, व्याकुल smeten, zbunjen megzavarodott bingung ruglaður, ráðvilltur perplesso 困った 당혹한 apstulbintas, suglumintas apmulsis bingung perplex rådvill, perpleks zakłopotany مغشوشول perplexo perplex сбитый с толку zmätený zmeden zbunjen förvirrad, förbryllad, perplex ซับซ้อน şaşırmış 困惑的 спантеличений; розгублений متحير phức tạp 困惑的
perˈplexedly (-ˈpleksid-) adverb verbysterd بارْتِباك، بِحَيْرَه объркано de modo confuso zmateně verwirrt perplekst; forvirret απορημένα con perplejidad, perplejo nõutult با حیرت hämmentyneesti avec perplexité בִּמבוּכָה हैरानी से, व्यकुलता zbunjeno zavarosan; zavarodottan dengan kebingungan ráðleysislega con perplessità 困って 당혹하게 aptulbęs, suglumęs apmulsumā dgn bingung verbluft rådvilt, perplekst z zakłopotaniem په حيرانتيا سره de modo confuso cu perplexitate недоумённо zmätene zmedeno zbunjeno förvirrat, förbryllat อย่างงุนงง şaşırmış şekilde 困惑地 спантеличено; розгублено حيراني کے ساتھ phức tạp 困惑地
perˈplexity nounShe stood there in perplexity. verbystering حَيْرَه، تَحَيُّر смущение perplexidade zmatek die Verwirrung forvirrethed σύγχυση, απορία perplejidad kimbatus سردر گمی؛ پیچیدگی hämmennys perplexité בלבול घबराहट, उलझन zbunjenost, smetenost zavar(odottság) kebingungan ráðleysi perplessità 当惑 당혹 apstulbimas, suglumimas apmulsums kebingungan verbluftheid rådvillhet, forfjamselse zakłopotanie اريانتيا، سر ګرداني perplexidade perplexitate недоумение; замешательство zmätok zmedenost zbunjenost förvirring, rådlöshet, bryderi ความงุนงง şaşkınlık 茫然不解 розгубленість; ніяковість حيراني، الجھن sự phức tạp 茫然不解
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.