Meaning & use

nonplussed

adjective·Advanced

So surprised or confused that one does not know how to react.

See it in a sentence

She was nonplussed when the interviewer suddenly switched to a foreign language.

He stood nonplussed, unsure whether the offer was a joke or genuine.

A note on using this word

Some American speakers now use it informally to mean "unbothered," the opposite of its traditional sense, so context matters.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

unfazed

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