nonplus
1 of 2noun
Leigh Hunt George Borrownonplus
2 of 2verb
; nonplussing also nonplusing ˌnän-ˈplə-siŋ transitive verb
Newsweek J. R. Perkins
Did you know?
Don't Let Nonplus Perplex You
Does nonplus perplex you? You aren't alone. Some people believe the non in nonplus means "not," and assume that to be nonplussed is to be calm and poised, but in fact the opposite is true. If you are among the baffled, the word's history may clarify things. In Latin, non plus means "no more." When nonplus debuted in English in the 16th century, it was used as a noun synonymous with quandary. Someone brought to a nonplus had reached an impasse in an argument and could say no more. In short time, people began applying nonplus as a verb, and today it is often used in participial form with the meaning "perplexed" (as in "Joellen's strange remark left us utterly nonplussed").
Synonyms
Verb
- abash
- confound
- confuse
- discomfit
- disconcert
- discountenance
- embarrass
- faze
- fluster
- mortify
- rattle
Example Sentences
Tom Orsborn, ExpressNews.com, 14 May 2020 She also was nonplussed by the questionnaire distributed during the flight, which had asked questions about travel to Wuhan, the virus’ epicenter. Lauren Caruba, ExpressNews.com, 18 Feb. 2020 And its performer was no doubt slightly nonplussed, too; Having previously claimed the track could elevate Rita Ora's career to new heights, Warren then called out the British singer for failing to promote it.8. Jon O'brien, Billboard, 7 Feb. 2020 Grijalva was nonplussed about the efforts against Sinema, who, like McSally, was in Washington, D.C., for Trump's Senate impeachment trial. Katie Surma, azcentral, 25 Jan. 2020 Gayle has yet to feature for Newcastle this season having picked up a calf injury in pre-season, with manager Steve Bruce concerned after specialists seemed nonplussed when attempting to determine the root cause of the problem. SI.com, 20 Sep. 2019 There is nothing wrong with this gentleman or anyone else who is nonplussed by a book that has been widely hailed by the critical establishment. John Warner, chicagotribune.com, 26 Nov. 2019 While Petty’s criminal past has been a concern to some fans, Minaj is nonplussed. Ashley Boucher, PEOPLE.com, 30 Oct. 2019 Thankfully, Monzo’s fees aren’t nearly as steep, but some customers appear nonplussed by the metal bling. Matthew De Silva, Quartz, 6 Aug. 2019 See More Word History
Noun and Verb
Latin non plus no more
Noun
1582, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1591, in the meaning defined above
nonplus
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- embarrass
- fluster
- confuse
- disconcert
- abash
- discomfit
- rattle
- bother
- upset
- mortify
- confound
- disturb
- unsettle
- distress
- disquiet
- faze
- humiliate
- discountenance
- dismay
- discomfort
- discompose
- perturb
- chagrin
- humble
- shame
- agitate
- unhinge
- queer
- put off
- debase
- demean
- degrade
- put out
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- relieve
- soothe
- calm
- comfort
- console
- cheer
- encourage
- assure
- hearten
- reassure
- embolden
- buoy
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of nonplus are bewilder, confound, distract, dumbfound, perplex, and puzzle. While all these words mean "to baffle and disturb mentally," nonplus implies a bafflement that makes orderly planning or deciding impossible.
While the synonyms bewilder and nonplus are close in meaning, bewilder stresses a confusion of mind that hampers clear and decisive thinking.
While in some cases nearly identical to nonplus, confound implies temporary mental paralysis caused by astonishment or profound abasement.
The words distract and nonplus are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, distract implies agitation or uncertainty induced by conflicting preoccupations or interests.
Although the words dumbfound and nonplus have much in common, dumbfound suggests intense but momentary confounding; often the idea of astonishment is so stressed that it becomes a near synonym of astound.
The synonyms perplex and nonplus are sometimes interchangeable, but perplex adds a suggestion of worry and uncertainty especially about making a necessary decision.
In some situations, the words puzzle and nonplus are roughly equivalent. However, puzzle implies existence of a problem difficult to solve.