nonplus

non·plus

N0143700 (nŏn-plŭs′)tr.v. non·plussed, non·plus·sing, non·plus·ses also non·plused or non·plus·ing or non·plus·es 1. To put at a loss as to what to think, say, or do; bewilder.2. Usage Problem To cause to feel indifferent or bored.n. A state of bewilderment or perplexity.

---

[From Latin nōn plūs, no more : nōn, not; see non- + plūs, more; see pelə- in Indo-European roots.]Usage Note: The verb nonplus, from the Latin phrase nōn plūs, "not more," is well established with the meaning "to surprise and bewilder." The verb and its participial adjective nonplussed often imply that the affected person is at a loss for words. This use of the word was acceptable to 90 percent of the Usage Panel in our 2013 survey in the sentence The scientists were completely nonplussed—the apparatus had not acted at all as they had expected. However, the word is frequently used to mean "to make indifferent, bore," as if the plus part of the word meant "to overcome with excitement." This usage is still controversial and should probably be avoided, since it may well be viewed as a mistake. In our 2013 survey, 57 percent of the Panel rejected the sentence The nine panelists showed little emotion during the broadcast and were generally nonplussed by the outcome. This percentage is almost unchanged from the 61 percent of the Panel who rejected the same sentence in 2001.

nonplus

(nɒnˈplʌs) vb, -plusses, -plussing or -plussed, -pluses, -plusing or -plused (tr) to put at a loss; confound: he was nonplussed by the sudden announcement. n, pl -plusesa state of utter perplexity prohibiting action or speech[C16: from Latin nōn plūs no further (that is, nothing further can be said or done)]

non•plus

(nɒnˈplʌs, ˈnɒn plʌs)

v. -plussed -plused, -plus•sing -plus•ing, v.t. 1. to render utterly perplexed; puzzle completely. n. 2. a state of utter perplexity. [1575–85; (n.) < Latin nōn plūs literally, not more, no further, i.e., a state in which nothing more can be done]

nonplus

Past participle: nonplussed
Gerund: nonplussing

Imperative
nonplus
nonplus

Present
I nonplus
you nonplus
he/she/it nonplusses
we nonplus
you nonplus
they nonplus

Preterite
I nonplussed
you nonplussed
he/she/it nonplussed
we nonplussed
you nonplussed
they nonplussed

Present Continuous
I am nonplussing
you are nonplussing
he/she/it is nonplussing
we are nonplussing
you are nonplussing
they are nonplussing

Present Perfect
I have nonplussed
you have nonplussed
he/she/it has nonplussed
we have nonplussed
you have nonplussed
they have nonplussed

Past Continuous
I was nonplussing
you were nonplussing
he/she/it was nonplussing
we were nonplussing
you were nonplussing
they were nonplussing

Past Perfect
I had nonplussed
you had nonplussed
he/she/it had nonplussed
we had nonplussed
you had nonplussed
they had nonplussed

Future
I will nonplus
you will nonplus
he/she/it will nonplus
we will nonplus
you will nonplus
they will nonplus

Future Perfect
I will have nonplussed
you will have nonplussed
he/she/it will have nonplussed
we will have nonplussed
you will have nonplussed
they will have nonplussed

Future Continuous
I will be nonplussing
you will be nonplussing
he/she/it will be nonplussing
we will be nonplussing
you will be nonplussing
they will be nonplussing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been nonplussing
you have been nonplussing
he/she/it has been nonplussing
we have been nonplussing
you have been nonplussing
they have been nonplussing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been nonplussing
you will have been nonplussing
he/she/it will have been nonplussing
we will have been nonplussing
you will have been nonplussing
they will have been nonplussing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been nonplussing
you had been nonplussing
he/she/it had been nonplussing
we had been nonplussing
you had been nonplussing
they had been nonplussing

Conditional
I would nonplus
you would nonplus
he/she/it would nonplus
we would nonplus
you would nonplus
they would nonplus

Past Conditional
I would have nonplussed
you would have nonplussed
he/she/it would have nonplussed
we would have nonplussed
you would have nonplussed
they would have nonplussed

Thesaurus

Verb

1.

nonplus - be a mystery or bewildering to; "This beats me!"; "Got me--I don't know the answer!"; "a vexing problem"; "This question really stuck me"bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, baffle, mystify, perplex, puzzle, stupefy, amaze, gravel, vex, pose, stick, beat, getstump, mix up - cause to be perplexed or confounded; "This problem stumped her"befuddle, confound, confuse, discombobulate, fox, bedevil, fuddle, throw - be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly; "These questions confuse even the experts"; "This question completely threw me"; "This question befuddled even the teacher"riddle - set a difficult problem or riddle; "riddle me a riddle"elude, escape - be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by; "What you are seeing in him eludes me"

nonplus

verbTo make incapable of finding something to think, do, or say:confound.Informal: flummox, stick, stump, throw.Slang: beat.Idiom: put someone at a loss.

Translations

imbarazzoperplessità