perplex

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.

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[Back-formation from Middle English perplexed, puzzled; see perplexed.]

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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).

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

Thesaurus

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 stump, mix up - cause to be perplexed or confounded; "This problem stumped her" 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" elude, escape - be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by; "What you are seeing in him eludes me"
	2.	perplex - make more complicated; "There was a new development that complicated the matter" complicate 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" embrangle, snarl up, snarl - make more complicated or confused through entanglements

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

verb

1. To cause to be unclear in mind or intent:

addle, befuddle, bewilder, confound, confuse, discombobulate, dizzy, fuddle, jumble, mix up, muddle, mystify, puzzle.

Informal: throw.

Idiom: make one's head reel.

2. To make complex, intricate, or perplexing:

complicate, embarrass, entangle, involve, ravel, snarl, tangle.

The 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

verdutzenverwirren

troubler

rugla, gera ráîvilltan

sconcertare

aptulbęs

apmulsināt

gjøre rådvill

şaşırtmak

困惑

perplex

[pəˈpleks] VT (= puzzle) → dejar perplejo; (= confuse) → desconcertar, confundir; [+ situation, issue] → complicar

Collins 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

[pə^rˈplɛks] vt [+ person] → rendre perplexe, plonger dans la perplexité
to 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/a
I 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, σαστίζωdejar 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 verbluffenforvirre, 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, απορημένοςperplejo, confuso hämmingus گیج؛ پیچیده hämmentynyt perplexe מְבוּלבַּל हैरान, व्याकुल smeten, zbunjen megzavarodott bingung ruglaður, ráðvilltur perplesso 困った 당혹한 apstulbintas, suglumintas apmulsis bingung perplexrådvill, perplekszakłopotany 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 verbluftrådvilt, 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 noun

She stood there in perplexity. verbystering حَيْرَه، تَحَيُّر смущение perplexidade zmatek die Verwirrung forvirrethed σύγχυση, απορίαperplejidad kimbatus سردر گمی؛ پیچیدگی hämmennys perplexitéבלבול घबराहट, उलझन zbunjenost, smetenost zavar(odottság) kebingungan ráðleysi perplessità 当惑 당혹 apstulbimas, suglumimas apmulsums kebingungan verbluftheidrådvillhet, 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.