adjectivenounnoun
perplexe
perplexed
Meaning in English
Perplexe means perplexed, puzzled, confused, uncertain—describing someone who is unsure what to think or do, often because a situation is unclear or surprising.
- Il avait l’air perplexe. → “He looked puzzled.”
- Je suis perplexe devant cette décision. → “I’m perplexed by this decision.”
Parts / formation
- perplexe (masculine singular)
- perplexe (feminine singular)
- perplexes (masculine/feminine plural)
The word comes from Latin perplexus (“entangled, confused”), which helps explain the idea of being mentally “tangled.”
French synonyms
- puzzlé (more informal, borrowed from English)
- déconcerté (thrown off, disconcerted)
- troublé (disturbed, unsettled)
- confus (confused)
- indécis (undecided)
- hésitant (hesitant)
- embarrassé (awkward / at a loss)
French antonyms
- sûr / certain (sure, certain)
- convaincu (convinced)
- décidé (decided)
- clair (clear—about an idea, a situation)
- assuré (self-assured)
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Examples
La fille est perplexe devant le problème.adjective
The girl is perplexed by the problem.
Après cette réponse étrange, ils sont restés perplexes pendant un moment.adjective
After that strange answer, they stayed perplexed for a moment.
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