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 apparent identity mix-up is a key point of confusion in a detailed and often perplexing set of allegations that Webb is lodging publicly against Jones and Thao. —Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 2 Feb. 2025

Few stories are as perplexing and tragic as that of Mary the elephant. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025

The universe's acceleration challenges predictions made by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, making dark energy one of the most perplexing mysteries in modern cosmology. —Victoria Corless, Space.com, 6 Jan. 2025

But figuring out how to style an oversized shirt can be perplexing—even for the most confident dresser. —Christina Holevas, Vogue, 2 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above