Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Origin: perplex 'perplexed' (14-17 centuries), from Latin perplexus, from plexus 'twisted together'

perplex

 verb
     
per‧plex [transitive]
if something perplexes you, it makes you feel confused and worried because it is difficult to understand [= puzzle]:
Shea's symptoms perplexed the doctors.
—perplexing adjective:
a perplexing problem
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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