nonplussed

In a sentence

• The sudden apology left him nonplussed for a full minute.
• Judges looked nonplussed by a brief that cited the wrong statute.
• She stood nonplussed when the door opened onto an empty stage.

Origin

From Latin non plus (no more, no further), via the noun nonplus for a state of perplexity; English formed the adjective from that stuck feeling.

History

Nonplussed traditionally means baffled into silence or inaction. In some North American use it has drifted toward unruffled or unimpressed, which is nearly the opposite. That split is why the word appears so often in look-up lists. If you want the older sense, picture someone who has reached a dead end and cannot take the next step.

Nearby words

bewildered · perplexed · stunned