Nonplussed means: Unsure how to act or respond; bewildered, perplexed.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up. For most families this word will pass by without incident; it is more a vocabulary curiosity than a parenting concern.
nonplussed
Unsure how to act or respond; bewildered, perplexed.
nɒnˈplʌstDocumented since 1890sSilenthistorical151 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Etymology timeline
Born ~1899 · no dated citations yet19th centurySee decade cohort →
Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
Unsure how to act or respond; bewildered, perplexed.
"I regard Dean [W. P.] Baddeley's gambling activities with embarrassment and dismay," said Anglican dean of Melbourne S. Barton Babbage. The Rev. Baddeley remained nonplussed. "I don't intend to make a habit of going to the races but I f…
Origin: {| class="floatright" |- | | |} [[File:Non-plussed - JM Staniforth.png|thumb|An 1899 political cartoon entitled “Non-plussed” by Joseph Morewood Staniforth. It depicts the British Member of Parliament Joseph Chamberlain as a nonplussed () inventor fretting over an “old age pension machine”, alluding to the difficulties Chamberlain encountered in getting support for his old age pension programme.]] From nonplus or . Nonplus is derived from , from nōn + plūs (ultimately from ). The etymological sense is similar to being left speechless as a result of confusion: the nonplussed person can say o. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Nonplussed means: Unsure how to act or respond; bewildered, perplexed.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up. For most families this word will pass by without incident; it is more a vocabulary curiosity than a parenting concern.
For ESL learners
nonplussed means: Unsure how to act or respond; bewildered, perplexed.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
Cluster: confused
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#2·Apr 27, 2026
(chiefly, US, informal, nonstandard) Unaffected, unfazed; unimpressed.
And while many of us might be a little taken aback if Mom showed up at our offices, Secrist is utterly nonplussed, even happy about it.
Cluster: general
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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Other words near "nonplussed" (N)
no-no boynonpareilnonparlornonpatrialnonplannon-player characternonpromotionnonprovidednon-railwaymannonregentnonsportsnonstandard item
Browse all slang words starting with N.