nonplus
nonplussed; nonplused; nonplusses; nonplussing; nonpluses
To nonplus is to baffle or confuse someone to the point that they have nothing to say. Something weird and mysterious can nonplus you, like a play that is performed entirely by chickens.
If you know a little French or Latin, you'll recognize that "non plus" means "no more." When something bewildering nonpluses you, there's no more you can say or do about it. A goal of getting poor grades, running with a bad crowd, and refusing to eat would leave your parents nonplussed. Sometimes people misuse nonplus to mean "unimpressed," but that's not correct: to nonplus is to puzzle, confuse, and dumbfound.
-
be a mystery or bewildering to
-
synonyms:
amaze, baffle, beat, bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, get, gravel, mystify, perplex, pose, puzzle, stick, stupefy, vex
-
types:
- show 4 types...
- hide 4 types...
-
mix up, stump
cause to be perplexed or confounded
-
riddle
set a difficult problem or riddle
-
elude, escape
be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by
-
defy, refuse, resist
elude, especially in a baffling way
Vocabulary lists containing nonplus
This classic tale tells the story of the Clock family, a group of tiny people who live under the floorboards of a grandfather clock, and survive by sneakily "borrowing" food and small items from the humans who live in the house.
After her parents' death, Rose tries to find a home with various relatives, including her wealthy aunts, her eccentric uncle, and her many cousins.
A New York Times reporter participates in a spelling bee at a Brooklyn bar. Here are 18 words, (not the ones he had to spell) about his experience. Drawn from Test of Wits and Sobriety The New York Times, August 1. 2013
Look up nonplus for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
