Synonyms of perplexity

perplexity

noun

pər-ˈplek-sə-tē 

as in confusion

a state of mental uncertainty

seeing her perplexity, the teacher stepped in with a helpful hint

Synonyms & Similar Words

• confusion
• fog
• bewilderment
• tangle
• bafflement
• puzzlement
• bemusement
• befuddlement
• mystification
• discomfort
• distress
• embarrassment
• discombobulation
• confusedness
• maze
• dismay
• head-scratching
• bamboozlement
• mortification
• distraction
• muddle
• discomfiture
• bewilderedness
• agitation
• commotion
• whirl
• chagrin
• perturbation
• turmoil
• disquiet
• upset
• disturbance
• abashment
• flurry
• fuss
• dither
• disconcertment
• fluster
• bother
• stew

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• certainty
• confidence
• conviction
• assurance
• certitude
• sureness
• positiveness

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of perplexity

Excitement and perplexity have long since stiffened into certainty. —Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 13 June 2024

The authors expressed perplexity about why excess deaths actually rose in 2021, despite the arrival of the vaccines and the implementation of social anti-pandemic measures, and remained elevated the following year. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2024

But as her shell cracks, Dern moves from perplexity to anguish to incandescent rage, never once overplaying her hand. —Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 8 May 2024

For one dataset, the original model had a perplexity of around 5, and the BiLLM version scored around 15, much better than the closest binarization competitor, which scored around 37 (for perplexity, lower numbers are better). —IEEE Spectrum, 30 May 2024