English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
adj

nonplussed

Nonplussed (adj) means Unsure how to act or respond; bewildered, perplexed.

adj
1
Unsure how to act or respond; bewildered, perplexed.
2
Unaffected, unfazed; unimpressed.
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “nonplussed” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Etymology

From nonplus (“state of bewilderment or perplexity”, noun) or nonplus (“to bewilder or perplex (someone)”, verb) + -ed (suffix forming adjectives, and the past tense and past participle forms of verbs). Nonplus (noun) is derived from Latin nōn plūs (“no further, no more”), from nōn (“not”) + plūs (“additionally, more; further”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- (“to fill”)). The etymological sense is similar to being left speechless as a result of confusion: the nonplussed person can say or do “no more”. Adjective sense 2 (“unaffected”) is probably from a misinterpretation of the first element of the word as the prefix non- meaning “not”.

Rhymes for nonplussed

See all rhymes for nonplussed →

Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of nonplussed?

"nonplussed" (adj) means unsure how to act or respond; bewildered, perplexed.

What are the different meanings of nonplussed?

"nonplussed" has 2 main meanings: 1. Unsure how to act or respond; bewildered, perplexed; 2. Unaffected, unfazed; unimpressed.

Definitions from wiktionary, CC BY-SA · etymology from Wiktionary