perplexing

[ per-plek-sing ]

adjective

1. puzzling or bewildering; hard to understand, figure out, or solve:

   One of the most perplexing aspects of owning a cat is trying to decipher its various body movements and meows.

   The history of the universe is one of the most perplexing subjects of all time.

Other Words From

• per·plex·ing·ly adverb
• un·per·plex·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of perplexing¹

perplex ( def ) + -ing ²( def )

Example Sentences

While “Wicked” doesn’t need to be the same technicolor utopia as “The Wizard of Oz,” the movie often leaves its characters drowned out by perplexing lighting design.

From Salon

This demand presents a perplexing cycle -- energy production often requires water, and water production from desalination now requires significant energy.

From Science Daily

It is a rivalry that rarely disappoints, which made the first half all the more perplexing.

From BBC

The case raises a perplexing question: is a notification valid if no copy of it can be found?

From BBC

Their daughter’s determination to become a comic was perplexing to them, to say the least.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• baffling
• complicated
• confusing
• convoluted
• disconcerting
• knotty
• mysterious
• mystifying
• puzzling
• thorny
• worrying