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

The growing complexity of the guidelines is all the more perplexing because the government’s overarching advice on how to eat healthier hasn’t changed that much over the past 35 years. —Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025

Forecasters point to perplexing planetary phenomenon. —Doyle Rice, USA Today, 22 June 2025

Ehlers’ usage with the Jets has long been perplexing with 2024-25 being his third straight season playing under 16 minutes. —Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 17 June 2025

In the end, Blakey said, the forces that landed Madigan in his courtroom were perplexing. —Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for perplexing

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