Everyday · Often misused · Emotions
Nonplussed: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Nonplussed adjective. So surprised or confused that you don't know how to react.
How to say it
non-PLUST/nɒnˈplʌst/
2 syllables, stressed on the second (PLUST).
Nonplussed in a sentence
The question left the minister nonplussed, and the silence lasted a painful five seconds.
She was nonplussed to find a goat standing in her kitchen.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- baffled
- bewildered
- flummoxed
- taken aback
Careful
It means bewildered, but many people use it for the opposite, calm and unbothered. That newer sense is spreading, especially in America, so make sure the context shows which you mean.
Where nonplussed comes from
From Latin non plus, no more, describing a point where nothing more can be said or done.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
She was _____ to find a goat standing in her kitchen.
- disinterested
- nonplussed
- reticent
Show the answer
nonplussed: She was nonplussed to find a goat standing in her kitchen.