perplexed

[per-plekst] /pərˈplɛkst/
adjective
1.
bewildered; puzzled:
a perplexed state of mind.
2.
complicated; involved; entangled.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English perplex confused (< Latin perplexus; see per-, complex) + -ed2
Related forms
perplexedly
[per-plek-sid-lee] /pərˈplɛk sɪd li/ (Show IPA), adverb
perplexedness, noun
self-perplexed, adjective
unperplexed, adjective

perplex

[per-pleks] /pərˈplɛks/
verb (used with object)
1.
to cause to be puzzled or bewildered over what is not understood or certain; confuse mentally:
Her strange response perplexed me.
2.
to make complicated or confused, as a matter or question.
3.
to hamper with complications, confusion, or uncertainty.
Origin
1585-95; back formation from perplexed
Related forms
perplexer, noun
perplexingly, adverb
unperplexing, adjective
Synonyms
1. mystify, confound. 2. tangle, snarl. 3. vex, annoy, bother.
Examples from the web for perplexed
  • I'm perplexed by several unexplored aspects of Neanderthals.
  • If you have ever lost weight on a diet only to gain it all back, you were probably as perplexed as you were disappointed.
  • He would be impressed, perplexed, and perhaps angry.
  • But precisely what it was perplexed them.
  • To be perfectly frank, this had us a little perplexed.
  • That is good news for perplexed engineers.
  • Needless to say, her host was quite perplexed.
  • The term “podcasting” has perplexed consumers ever since it was introduced.
  • Both retailers and government officials seem perplexed about the mix-up.
  • They looked back at her, perplexed but curious enough to bide a while.
British Dictionary definitions for perplexed

perplex

/pəˈplɛks/
verb (transitive)
1.
to puzzle; bewilder; confuse
2.
to complicate: to perplex an issue
Word Origin
C15: from obsolete perplex (adj) intricate, from Latin perplexus entangled, from per- (thoroughly) + plectere to entwine
Word Origin and History for perplexed
adj.

late 15c., past participle adjective; see perplex. A case of a past participle form attested centuries before the verb (perplex isn't recorded until 17c.). Related: Perplexedly; perplexedness.

perplex

v.

late 14c. as an adjective, "perplexed, puzzled, bewildered," from Latin perplexus "involved, confused, intricate;" but Latin had no corresponding verb *perplectere. The Latin compound would be per "through" (see per) + plexus "entangled," past participle of plectere "to twine, braid, fold" (see complex (adj.)).

The form of the English adjective shifted to perplexed by late 15c., probably to conform to other past participle adjectives. The verb is latest attested of the group, in 1590s, evidently a back-formation from the adjective. Related: Perplexing, which well describes the history of the word.