perplexing

IPA/pəˈpleksɪŋ/
KK[pɚplˈɛksɪŋ]IPA/pərˈpleksɪŋ/

perplexing — adjective

  • perplexingpositive
  • more perplexingcomparative
  • most perplexingsuperlative

1. describes something that is so unusual or complicated that you feel confused and

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describes something that is so unusual or complicated that you feel confused and cannot work out what is happening or what the right answer or approach should be.

例句

The new software instructions were so perplexing that Faisal called customer support.

so + adj + that-clause showing consequence

Why the train suddenly stopped without any warning was a perplexing question that no one at the station could answer.

perplexing question + relative clause

同義詞
  • baffling

    slightly stronger; implies being completely unable to understand or explain

  • puzzling

    milder; suggests something is like a puzzle you need to think about

  • bewildering

    emphasises feeling lost or overwhelmed by too many possibilities

  • confusing

    more general and common; does not carry the same sense of mental struggle

反義詞
  • clear

    easy to understand; opposite in both meaning and connotation

  • straightforward

    uncomplicated; the problem or question presents no difficulty

文法句型

find + object + perplexing

it + be + perplexing + that-clause

perplexing + noun

用法筆記

Commonly used with 'find' (find something perplexing) and with nouns like 'question', 'case', 'situation', 'problem', or 'behaviour'. Unlike 'confusing', which can describe temporary disorientation, 'perplexing' suggests an active mental struggle to make sense of something that seems to resist explanation.

常見錯誤

❌I was perplexing about the question.
✅I found the question perplexing.
💡'perplexing' describes the thing that causes confusion, not the person experiencing it. Use 'perplexed' for the person's feeling, or the pattern 'find + object + perplexing'.