nonplussed

adjective

non·​plussed ˌnän-ˈpləst 

1

: unsure about what to say, think, or do : perplexed

She was nonplussed, but quickly collected herself, explained that the plumbing had been acting up for days, and told them to pay it no mind.

—Diane Ackerman

Cedric looked nonplussed. He looked from Bagman to Harry and back again as though sure he must have misheard what Bagman had said.

—J. K. Rowling

2

chiefly US : not bothered, surprised, or impressed by something

Employees took to the sidewalks, throwing T-shirts and 20 percent off coupons at the few people who passed by. Still, an H&M spokesman in New York was nonplussed by the lack of fanfare. Opening day varies, he said, from location to location. "It's only one day."

—Saint Paul (Minnesota) Pioneer Press

For all his daring down the world's steepest hills, Sasaki is remarkably laid back off the slopes and nonplussed by all the sudden interest in him.

—The New York Times

Note: The use of nonplussed to mean "unimpressed" is an Americanism that has become increasingly common in recent decades and now appears frequently in published writing. It apparently arose from confusion over the meaning of nonplussed in ambiguous contexts, and it continues to be widely regarded as an error.

One of the things that most vexes language purists … is when the meaning of a word changes over time. For example, it appears that the traditional sense of the word nonplussed, "bewildered and at a loss as to what to think," is slowly giving way to a new (and opposite) sense: "unfazed." Even experienced writers are using the new sense.

—Paul McFedries

Synonyms

• baffled
• confounded
• hard put
• hard-pressed
• perplexed

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Enmanuel seemed nonplussed when asked about that day. —Kristie Rieken, Chicago Tribune, 30 Dec. 2022

Then Benoit Blanc arrives, and Miles seems genuinely nonplussed to see him. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 7 Nov. 2022

The Danish-Norwegian group, however, is decidedly nonplussed. —Mike Wass, Variety, 26 Sep. 2022

Pinkett Smith looked nonplussed, apparently prompting Smith, who initially laughed at the joke, to snap, as attendees looked on in disbelief. —Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Apr. 2022

But Ray’s elaborate meditations on Huck Finn and Jim, the main characters in Mark Twain’s classic novel, provoke the same nonplussed embarrassment. —Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2022

After the Spurs brushed off the Rockets, Murray seemed nonplussed when asked what led him to bust his hump to bird-dog a loose ball across the AT&T Center. —Jeff Mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, 18 Oct. 2021

But no one seeing an Ashland house for sale during a Saturday open house could remain nonplussed. —oregonlive, 29 May 2021

No reason for fans not to be a bit nonplussed by the signing of Dylan Bahamboula. —James Reade, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2021

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Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1