Perplexity
noun
A state of being confused and not understanding something.
She looked at him in perplexity.
Often appears as...
- look of perplexity
- state of perplexity
noun
A complicated or unclear situation or thing that is difficult to understand.
The tax system is of great perplexity for many people.
Often appears as...
- great perplexity
- extreme perplexity
noun
A state of being confused and not understanding something.
She looked at him in perplexity.
Often appears as...
- look of perplexity
- state of perplexity
noun
A complicated or unclear situation or thing that is difficult to understand.
The tax system is of great perplexity for many people.
Often appears as...
- great perplexity
- extreme perplexity
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Emotional Tone
Perplexity often shows someone is emotionally unsettled because they're confused.
Her voice trembled with perplexity.
Pro Tip 2/3Temporary Confusion
Use 'perplexity' when describing temporary confusion, not long-term misunderstanding.
After the trick, the audience was in a state of perplexity.
Pro Tip 3/3Visual Indicators
Perplexity is often shown by facial expressions. Look for puzzled looks.
His furrowed brow spoke of his perplexity.
Pro Tip 1/3Emotional Tone
Perplexity often shows someone is emotionally unsettled because they're confused.
Her voice trembled with perplexity.
Pro Tip 2/3Temporary Confusion
Use 'perplexity' when describing temporary confusion, not long-term misunderstanding.
After the trick, the audience was in a state of perplexity.
Pro Tip 3/3Visual Indicators
Perplexity is often shown by facial expressions. Look for puzzled looks.
His furrowed brow spoke of his perplexity.
Pro Tip 1/3Emotional Tone
Perplexity often shows someone is emotionally unsettled because they're confused.
Her voice trembled with perplexity.
Pro Tip 2/3Temporary Confusion
Use 'perplexity' when describing temporary confusion, not long-term misunderstanding.
After the trick, the audience was in a state of perplexity.
Pro Tip 3/3Visual Indicators
Perplexity is often shown by facial expressions. Look for puzzled looks.
His furrowed brow spoke of his perplexity.
Compare with
bewildermentcertaintyconfusiondilemmadoubthesitateintricacypuzzlementquandary
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Video examples
What's so sexy about...
Now with all this beauty, usefulness and wealth, mathematics does look more sexy. But don't you think that the life a mathematical researcher is an easy one. It is filled with perplexity, frustration,
Video examples
What's so sexy about...
Now with all this beauty, usefulness and wealth, mathematics does look more sexy. But don't you think that the life a mathematical researcher is an easy one. It is filled with perplexity, frustration,
Example 1 of 1
Quote examples
David Means
American Writer
You don't know what you need when you're a young writer. You can get small slivers of critical input, advice, comments, but if you're deep in the perplexity of your own process, as you should be, sorting it out in your own way, nothing is going to guide you more than small gestures of encouragement.
Quote examples
Jose Saramago
Portuguese Writer
I never appreciated 'positive heroes' in literature. They are almost always cliches, copies of copies, until the model is exhausted. I prefer perplexity, doubt, uncertainty, not just because it provides a more 'productive' literary raw material, but because that is the way we humans really are.
Quote examples
John James Audubon
American Scientist
If I can procure three hundred good substantial names of persons, or bodies, or institutions, I cannot fail to do well for my family, although I must abandon my life to its success, and undergo many sad perplexities and perhaps never see again my own beloved America.
Quote examples
Frank Deford
American Writer
The year after Russell retired, in the famous seventh game of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, Willis Reed, the New York Knicks center, limped onto the court against the Los Angeles Lakers, inspiring his team and freezing Chamberlain into a benign perplexity.
Quote examples
John Adams
American President
All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise, not from defects in their Constitution or Confederation, not from want of honor or virtue, so much as from the downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation.
Quote examples
Brian Greene
American Physicist
The tantalizing discomfort of perplexity is what inspires otherwise ordinary men and women to extraordinary feats of ingenuity and creativity; nothing quite focuses the mind like dissonant details awaiting harmonious resolution.
Quote examples
Hannah Arendt
German Historian
Only crime and the criminal, it is true, confront us with the perplexity of radical evil; but only the hypocrite is really rotten to the core.
Quote examples
Gilbert K. Chesterton
English Writer
The perplexity of life arises from there being too many interesting things in it for us to be interested properly in any of them.
Quote examples
Robert E. Lee
American General
In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.
Quote examples
Khalil Gibran
Lebanese Poet
Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge.
Quote examples
David Means
American Writer
You don't know what you need when you're a young writer. You can get small slivers of critical input, advice, comments, but if you're deep in the perplexity of your own process, as you should be, sorting it out in your own way, nothing is going to guide you more than small gestures of encouragement.
Quote examples
Jose Saramago
Portuguese Writer
I never appreciated 'positive heroes' in literature. They are almost always cliches, copies of copies, until the model is exhausted. I prefer perplexity, doubt, uncertainty, not just because it provides a more 'productive' literary raw material, but because that is the way we humans really are.
Quote examples
John James Audubon
American Scientist
If I can procure three hundred good substantial names of persons, or bodies, or institutions, I cannot fail to do well for my family, although I must abandon my life to its success, and undergo many sad perplexities and perhaps never see again my own beloved America.
Quote examples
Frank Deford
American Writer
The year after Russell retired, in the famous seventh game of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, Willis Reed, the New York Knicks center, limped onto the court against the Los Angeles Lakers, inspiring his team and freezing Chamberlain into a benign perplexity.
Quote examples
John Adams
American President
All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise, not from defects in their Constitution or Confederation, not from want of honor or virtue, so much as from the downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation.
Quote examples
Brian Greene
American Physicist
The tantalizing discomfort of perplexity is what inspires otherwise ordinary men and women to extraordinary feats of ingenuity and creativity; nothing quite focuses the mind like dissonant details awaiting harmonious resolution.
Quote examples
Hannah Arendt
German Historian
Only crime and the criminal, it is true, confront us with the perplexity of radical evil; but only the hypocrite is really rotten to the core.
Quote examples
Gilbert K. Chesterton
English Writer
The perplexity of life arises from there being too many interesting things in it for us to be interested properly in any of them.
Quote examples
Robert E. Lee
American General
In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.
Quote examples
Khalil Gibran
Lebanese Poet
Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge.
Example 1 of 10
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