Synonyms of perplexed

perplexed 1 of 2

adjective

pər-ˈplekst 

as in baffled

faced with difficulty or uncertainty about what to say, think, or do

the convoluted instructions for calibrating a high-definition television will leave many consumers utterly perplexed

Synonyms & Similar Words

• baffled
• bewildered
• embarrassed
• nonplussed
• confused
• flustered
• at a loss
• put to it
• confounded
• hard put
• hard-pressed
• disconcerted
• fazed
• put out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• undaunted
• composed
• unfazed
• untroubled

perplexed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of perplex

1

as in complicated

to make complex or difficult

let's not perplex the issue further with irrelevant concerns

Synonyms & Similar Words

• complicated
• embarrassed
• confused
• sophisticated
• intensified
• complexed
• entangled
• complexified
• elaborated
• expanded
• developed
• confounded
• muddled
• snarled
• mixed (up)
• magnified
• tangled
• messed (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• simplified
• streamlined
• cut
• shortened
• abbreviated
• facilitated
• eased
• straightened (out)
• oversimplified
• unraveled
• disentangled
• untangled

2

as in puzzled

to throw into a state of mental uncertainty

the question perplexed me

Synonyms & Similar Words

• puzzled
• baffled
• confused
• bewildered
• mystified
• befuddled
• embarrassed
• stunned
• flummoxed
• vexed
• bemused
• confounded
• disoriented
• flustered
• disturbed
• discombobulated
• posed
• bothered
• rattled
• muddled
• bamboozled
• upset
• fuddled
• mazed
• muddied
• foxed
• addled
• buffaloed
• befogged
• got
• unsettled
• graveled
• stumped
• nonplussed
• beat
• disconcerted
• stuck
• mortified
• dismayed
• discomfited
• distressed
• agitated
• blew one's mind
• perturbed
• disquieted
• went to one's head
• abashed
• chagrined
• weirded out
• fazed
• discomforted
• deceived
• misled
• discountenanced
• discomposed
• unhinged
• deluded
• misguided
• fooled
• duped
• beguiled
• tricked
• strung along
• hoodwinked
• humbugged
• gulled
• snowed
• cozened
• hoaxed
• took in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• satisfied
• assured
• informed
• reassured
• enlightened

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of perplexed

Adjective

The exact reason for the planet's unusual tilt has long perplexed astronomers, and debate continues over what might have led to its present-day appearance. — Micah Hanks, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2026

University leaders and state lawmakers from these rural Oklahoma are perplexed to find themselves in the crosshairs of this culture war issue. — Andrea Eger, Oklahoma Watch, 6 Sep. 2026

Verb

Others are perplexed at the meshing of fact (Wat Tyler and the Revolt) and fiction (Robin Hood). — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026

As crime units and crime tape surrounded the house, neighbors who knew the officer are perplexed. — Anna Meiler, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026