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

Making sense of what the affable and passionate Che is up to at his tiny restaurant can be perplexing. —Matthew Odam, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Nov. 2024

Pope No position encapsulates Newcastle’s perplexing summer better than the incomplete reshuffling of the goalkeeper department. —Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 14 Aug. 2024

Your diet beverage is full of a slew of perplexing sugar substitutes, but the regular version has too much sugar to justify drinking it. —Andrew Watman, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

These questions have seemed both urgent and perplexing, not only to Ramos but to many others as well; whether Trump will repeat or exceed his performance with Latinos is one of the main unknowns that could determine the outcome of the election. —Geraldo Cadava, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above