perplexing

adjective

per·​plex·​ing pər-ˈplek-siŋ 

: difficult to understand : causing confusion

A perplexing feature of insomnia is that people seem to overestimate their sleep loss.

—Rita L. Atkinson et al.

Chronic acalculous biliary disorders are among the most perplexing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in medicine.

—Richard M. Gore

A perplexing problem, often encountered by cat owners, is that of a refusal to use the litterbox after using it for years in the past.

—Susan L. Mathews

perplexingly adverb

a perplexingly complex problem

This was all that I could observe of her in the dim light and under the perplexingly strange circumstances of our meeting.

—Wilkie Collins

Examples of perplexing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These staggering, fluctuating sums would be perplexing in isolation. —Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 7 June 2024

Life is often filled with quick and unexpected turns, and perplexing problems. —Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 7 June 2024

The gains in the south are perplexing and will require more data on voting patterns for a more accurate analysis. —Sumit Ganguly, The Conversation, 4 June 2024

Their gifted advisors can even unravel perplexing dreams. —Playtogga, The Denver Post, 29 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above