perplexer
Source of bewilderment
A perplexer is someone or something that perplexes—that confuses, puzzles, or leaves others uncertain how to proceed.
The word appears rarely, usually in contexts where someone wants to personify a source of confusion: He was a perplexer of critics, defying easy categorization.
A riddle or paradox might also be called a perplexer.
One who misdirects
- tricksterCunning deceiver in myth
- confounderHidden factor distorting causation
- obfuscatorOne who confuses deliberately
- mystifierOne who confounds
bamboozler · riddler · sphinx · illusionist · provocateur · contrarian · sophist · equivocator
Puzzle demanding clever thought
- riddlePuzzling question to solve
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
- conundrumPerplexing problem or question
- paradoxSeemingly absurd truth
cryptogram · sudoku · crossword · maze · labyrinth · tangram · jigsaw · cipher
State of being baffled
- bafflementMental state of confusion
- mystificationDeliberate creation of confusion
- puzzlementState of being baffled
- disorientationLoss of spatial awareness
befuddlement · stupefaction · consternation · flummoxed · nonplussed · discombobulated · befuddled · dumbfounded
Something unexplained or unknown
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
- curiosityDesire to learn
- fascinationIntense absorbed interest
- suspenseAnxious uncertainty about outcomes
whodunit · cloak-and-dagger · secret · cryptic · tantalizing · beguiling · captivating · spellbinding
State of elaborate complexity
- convolutionTwisting or mathematical integration
- entanglementState of being intertwined
- knottinessComplex, tangled quality
- labyrinthineExtremely complex and winding
multifaceted · nuanced · layered · dense · tangled · elaborate · intricate · byzantine
misleader
One who misdirects
- tricksterCunning deceiver in myth
- confounderHidden factor distorting causation
- obfuscatorOne who confuses deliberately
mystifier · bamboozler · riddler · sphinx · illusionist · provocateur · contrarian · sophist · equivocator
brainteaser
Puzzle demanding clever thought
- riddlePuzzling question to solve
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
- conundrumPerplexing problem or question
paradox · cryptogram · sudoku · crossword · maze · labyrinth · tangram · jigsaw · cipher
bewilderment
State of being baffled
- bafflementMental state of confusion
- mystificationDeliberate creation of confusion
- puzzlementState of being baffled
disorientation · befuddlement · stupefaction · consternation · flummoxed · nonplussed · discombobulated · befuddled · dumbfounded · bamboozled
mystery
Something unexplained or unknown
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
- curiosityDesire to learn
- fascinationIntense absorbed interest
suspense · whodunit · cloak-and-dagger · secret · cryptic · tantalizing · beguiling · captivating · spellbinding
intricacy
State of elaborate complexity
- convolutionTwisting or mathematical integration
- entanglementState of being intertwined
- knottinessComplex, tangled quality
labyrinthine · multifaceted · nuanced · layered · dense · tangled · elaborate · intricate · byzantine · complicated
perplexerclarifier
Something that explains better
illuminator · explainer · enlightener · demystifier · simplifier
perplexed, perplex, perplexing, perplexity, perplexes, perplexedly, perplexers