nonplus
/nɒnˈplʌs
/verb (nonplusses, nonplussing, nonplussed) [with object]
Surprise and confuse (someone) so much that they are unsure how to react: Diane was nonplussed by such an odd question...
- No doubt middle class people will be nonplussed by my compliance with the doctor's wishes.
- The boys are nonplussed by his invasion into their lives, to say the least.
- Alex walked out slowly, nonplussed by the lack of surprise at his arrival.
Synonyms
surprise, stun, dumbfound, confound, astound, astonish, amaze, take aback, disconcert, stop someone in their tracks, throw, throw/catch off balance;
puzzle, perplex, baffle, mystify, confuse, bemuse, bewilder
informal faze, flummox, floor, flabbergast, discombobulate, stump, bamboozle, fox
noun
A state of being very surprised and confused: reduced to a perfect nonplus, he rose from his chair
Origin
Late 16th century: from Latin non plus 'not more'. The noun originally meant 'a state in which no more can be said or done'.