adjective

perplexing

p-PLEHK-sihng

Perplexing (adjective) means Confusing; hard to make sense of. Example: “It's a perplexing mystery why the door was left unlocked.”

adjective

Confusing; hard to make sense of.

"It's a perplexing mystery why the door was left unlocked."

"The results of the experiment were perplexing to the whole research team."

How to use perplexing

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomething so confusing it leaves you puzzled.

Common mistake

"Perplexing" describes the confusing thing itself; "perplexed" describes the confused person.

Easily confused with

perplexed →

more perplexing comparative, most perplexing superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Can you complete this real example?

It's a _____ mystery why the door was left unlocked.

vexing flexing

What does “perplexing” mean?

The word “perplexing” means confusing; hard to make sense of. In plain terms, something so confusing it leaves you puzzled.

How do you pronounce “perplexing”?

“Perplexing” is pronounced p-PLEHK-sihng (/pɚˈplɛksɪŋ/ in IPA).

How do you use “perplexing” in a sentence?

Here is “perplexing” used in a sentence: “It's a perplexing mystery why the door was left unlocked.”

What part of speech is “perplexing”?

“Perplexing” is an adjective.