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

Not Kendall, nor Candle, but a third, even more perplexing name for a dog. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026

The moves to offload Dejan Joveljic and part with Manu Garcia were perplexing. — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026

Homicide detective Sofia Karppi returns to work after the death of her husband and is immediately thrown into the middle of a perplexing murder case that implicates a massive clean energy company. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026

Director Darren Aronofsky’s chilly mind-bender is mesmerizing, terrifying and perplexing in equal measure. — David Faris, TheWeek, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1585, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for perplexing

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