perplexed
Confused and unable to understand something.
perplexed in a sentence
- The riddle left Omar perplexed; he read it five times and still had no answer.
- The new washing machine left Grandpa perplexed; he pressed every button and nothing happened.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to perplexed?
- Acertain
- Bconfused
- Cclear
- Dsure
Show the answer
B: confused. The other three mean the opposite of perplexed.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to perplexed?
- Aconfused
- Bstuck
- Ccertain
- Dpuzzled
Show the answer
C: certain. The other three mean nearly the same as perplexed.
Words that mean something similar
confused, puzzled, stuck
Words that mean the opposite
certain, sure, clear
More words about thinking & learning
- plausible: Sounding reasonable and likely to be true.
- ponder: To think about something slowly and carefully.
- precise: Exact and completely accurate.
- predict: To say what you think will happen in the future.
- prejudice: An unfair opinion about someone, formed without knowing the facts.
- preposterous: So silly that it is hard to believe.
- probe: To explore or examine something carefully to find out more.
- prodigy: A young person who is amazingly talented at something.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test