nonplus

nonplus
1 of 2
noun
non·;plus ;n;n-;pl;s
Synonyms of nonplus
: a state of bafflement or perplexity : QUANDARY
… reducing the young man to a nonplus …
—Leigh Hunt
… appear to be at a nonplus …
—George Borrow
nonplus

2 of 2
verb
nonplussed also nonplused ;n;n-;pl;st  ; nonplussing also nonplusing ;n;n-;pl;-si;
transitive verb

: to cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do : PERPLEX
nonplussed by the disclosure
—Newsweek
this turn of events nonplusses me
—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