perplexing

1 of 2

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

perplexing

2 of 2

present participle of perplex

Examples of perplexing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Bohm’s Phillies career has been sometimes frustrating, sometimes exciting, sometimes perplexing. — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Orbital imagery has shown that unlike its heavily cratered sibling moon, Phobos, which means fear in ancient Greek, Deimos is much smoother — and covered in a perplexing layer of dust and rubble called regolith. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026

Starring Matthew Gray Gubler, the series follows Lewis Einstein, the brilliant and directionless great-grandson of Albert Einstein, an eccentric professor who forms an unlikely partnership with a sharp detective to tackle the most perplexing cases. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Aug. 2026

Meanwhile, a square between Mars and Neptune retrograde is slowly coming together, becoming exact tomorrow, which can make our desires and motivations all the more perplexing. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1585, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for perplexing

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