perplexing

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /pərˈplɛksɪŋ/ UK /pəˈpleksɪŋ/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
completely baffling or puzzling

The detective faced a perplexing absence of any motive.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · completely baffling or... baffling puzzling bewildering confusing mystifyingconfoundingenigmatic

Opposites

clear straightforward comprehensible obvious

Word family

Forms perplexingly

Derived forms perplexingly

Related forms perplex perplexity perplexed

Etymology

Present participle of perplex, from Latin perplexus ('entangled, confused'), from per- ('thoroughly') + plectere ('to plait, twist').

perplexus Latin plectere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# perplexing

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /pərˈplɛksɪŋ/
**IPA (UK):** /pəˈpleksɪŋ/

## Meanings
1. completely baffling or puzzling

## Examples
- The detective faced a perplexing absence of any motive.

## Synonyms
- baffling
- puzzling
- bewildering
- confusing
- mystifying
- confounding
- enigmatic

## Antonyms
- clear
- straightforward
- comprehensible
- obvious

## Derived Forms
- perplexingly

## Related Forms
- perplex
- perplexity
- perplexed

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: perplexus
- Root: plectere

## Etymology
Present participle of perplex, from Latin perplexus ('entangled, confused'), from per- ('thoroughly') + plectere ('to plait, twist').

## AI Etymology
Perplexing is the present participle of perplex, from Latin perplexus ('entangled, confused'), from per- ('thoroughly') + plectere ('to plait, twist'). Important recorded forms include perplexus (Latin) and plectere (Latin). Morphologically, the word preserves a built structure whose named elements carry the historical sense into English. The modern sense remains close to that composition, with the parts narrowing into a single lexical item. In current use it covers completely baffling or puzzling. The wider family includes derived forms such as perplexingly and related words such as perplex, perplexity, and perplexed.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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