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

At least there’s still perplexing songs to listen to. —Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 23 July 2025

The accusations of bad faith are not only perplexing but inaccurate. —The Daily News, New York Daily News, 16 July 2025

One of the most perplexing hints of hydration are a handful of slope streaks: narrow, long and sometimes bright but usually dark features that are commonly located near the tops of crater walls and scarps. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 10 July 2025

Lloyd’s casting of Olivas as Perón — in reality 23 years Eva’s senior and invariably played by an older actor — seems perplexing. —Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for perplexing

• annexing
• complexing
• flexing
• sexing
• vexing
• multiplexing