Perplexing

Perplexing
Perplex Per*plex", v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Perplexed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Perplexing}.] [L. perplexari. See {Perplex}, a.] 1. To involve; to entangle; to make intricate or complicated, and difficult to be unraveled or understood; as, to perplex one with doubts. [1913 Webster]

No artful wildness to perplex the scene. --Pope. [1913 Webster]

What was thought obscure, perplexed, and too hard for our weak parts, will lie open to the understanding in a fair view. --Locke. [1913 Webster]

2. To embarrass; to puzzle; to distract; to bewilder; to confuse; to trouble with ambiguity, suspense, or anxiety. ``Perplexd beyond self-explication.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]

We are perplexed, but not in despair. --2 Cor. iv. 8. [1913 Webster]

We can distinguish no general truths, or at least shall be apt to perplex the mind. --Locke. [1913 Webster]

3. To plague; to vex; to tormen. --Glanvill. [1913 Webster]

Syn: To entangle; involve; complicate; embarrass; puzzle; bewilder; confuse; distract. See {Embarrass}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Perplexing — Per*plex ing, a. Embarrassing; puzzling; troublesome. Perplexing thoughts. Milton. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • perplexing — index complex, debatable, difficult, disputable, dubious, enigmatic, equivocal, indefinable, labyrinthine …   Law dictionary

  • perplexing — [adj] difficult to understand baffling, beyond one, complicated, confusing, convoluted, disconcerting, impenetrable, intricate, involved, knotty, mind bending, mysterious, mystifying, paradoxical, puzzling, taxing, thorny, worrying; concept 529 …   New thesaurus

  • perplexing — adj. perplexing to + inf. (it was perplexing to read so many contradictory accounts of the incident) * * * [pə pleksɪŋ] perplexing to + inf. (it was perplexing to read so many contradictory accounts of the incident) …   Combinatory dictionary

  • perplexing — [[t]pə(r)ple̱ksɪŋ[/t]] ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n If you find something perplexing, you do not understand it or do not know how to deal with it. It took years to understand many perplexing diseases... British Parliamentary procedure is perplexing at… …   English dictionary

  • perplexing — adj. Perplexing is used with these nouns: ↑puzzle …   Collocations dictionary

  • perplexing — per|plex|ing [ pər pleksıŋ ] adjective confusing: a perplexing problem …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • perplexing — adjective he was famous for solving the most perplexing cases Syn: puzzling, baffling, mystifying, mysterious, bewildering, confusing, disconcerting, worrying, unaccountable, difficult to understand, beyond one, paradoxical, peculiar, funny,… …   Thesaurus of popular words

  • perplexing — UK [pə(r)ˈpleksɪŋ] / US [pərˈpleksɪŋ] adjective confusing a perplexing problem …   English dictionary

  • perplexing — adjective lacking clarity of meaning; causing confusion or perplexity (Freq. 2) sent confusing signals to Iraq perplexing to someone who knew nothing about it a puzzling statement • Syn: ↑confusing, ↑puzzling …   Useful english dictionary

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