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
Cite this Entry
“Perplexing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perplexing. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.
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