perplex

/pərˈplɛks/

/pəˈplɛk/

Other forms: perplexed; perplexing; perplexes

To perplex someone is to amaze, baffle, bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, mystify, or puzzle them. Perplexing things are hard to understand.

If you're perplexed, then you're confused. Different things perplex different people. In football, a tricky defense will perplex a quarterback. Complicated formulas can perplex math students. When people do weird things, it can be perplexing. Anything hard to understand might perplex you. Perplexing also means to make something more complicated. So when you see the word perplex, think "Huh?"

Definitions of perplex

1. verb

   be puzzling or bewildering to
   synonyms: amaze, baffle, beat, bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, get, gravel, mystify, nonplus, pose, puzzle, stick, stupefy, vex

   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

   type of:

   bedevil, befuddle, confound, confuse, discombobulate, fox, fuddle, throw

   be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly
2. verb

   make more complicated
   synonyms: complicate

   types:

   complexify

   make complex

   embrangle, snarl, snarl up

   make more complicated or confused through entanglements

   snafu

   cause to be in a state of complete confusion

   type of:

   alter, change, modify

   cause to change; make different; cause a transformation