Perplexing

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Perplex \Per*plex"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Perplexed}; p. pr. &
     vb. n. {Perplexing}.] [L. perplexari. See {Perplex}, a.]
     1. To involve; to entangle; to make intricate or complicated,
        and difficult to be unraveled or understood; as, to
        perplex one with doubts.
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              No artful wildness to perplex the scene. --Pope.
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              What was thought obscure, perplexed, and too hard
              for our weak parts, will lie open to the
              understanding in a fair view.         --Locke.
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     2. To embarrass; to puzzle; to distract; to bewilder; to
        confuse; to trouble with ambiguity, suspense, or anxiety.
        "Perplexd beyond self-explication." --Shak.
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              We are perplexed, but not in despair. --2 Cor. iv.
                                                    8.
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              We can distinguish no general truths, or at least
              shall be apt to perplex the mind.     --Locke.
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     3. To plague; to vex; to torment. --Glanvill.
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     Syn: To entangle; involve; complicate; embarrass; puzzle;
          bewilder; confuse; distract. See {Embarrass}.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Perplexing \Per*plex"ing\, a.
     Embarrassing; puzzling; troublesome. "Perplexing thoughts."
     --Milton.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  perplexing
       adj : lacking clarity of meaning; causing confusion or perplexity;
             "sent confusing signals to Iraq"; "perplexing to
             someone who knew nothing about it"; "a puzzling
             statement" [syn: {confusing}, {puzzling}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  38 Moby Thesaurus words for "perplexing":
     Byzantine, arcane, baffling, bewildering, bothering, complex,
     complicated, confounding, confusing, convoluted, cryptic,
     discomposing, disconcerting, dismaying, distracting, disturbing,
     embarrassing, enigmatic, flabbergasting, impenetrable,
     incomprehensible, intricate, involved, knotty, labyrinthine,
     mysterious, mystifying, paradoxical, perturbing, problematic,
     puzzling, recondite, riddling, sphinxlike, stupefying, twisted,
     unfathomable, upsetting