nonplus

non·plus
N1O1N1P3L1U1S1
UK/nɒnˈplʌs/US/ˌnɑnˈplʌs/

noun

A state of bewilderment or perplexity.

Similar
perplexvexstickgetpuzzlemystifybafflebeat
OriginLatin nōn plūs ← Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- →
Scrabble 9
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Meanings

nounnonplus (plural nonpluses or nonplusses)

plural nonpluses · plural nonplusses · alternative non-plus

  1. obsoleteA state of bewilderment or perplexity.

    I believe they'd ſoon be put to a non-plus—You'd be quite too much for them, I'm ſure.

    1792, Charlotte Smith, “Letter VI. To Mr. Bethel.”, in Desmond. […], volume I, London: […] G[eorge,] G[eorge,] J[ohn] and J[ames] Robinson, […], →OCLC, page 89
    3 more examples

    [A]ltering Vaudemont, to Vallemontanus, and metamorphoſing them, by ſuting them to the Græcian or Latin tongue, we know not what to make of them, and are often at a non-plus.

    1603, Michel de Montaigne, “Of Names”, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC, pages 149–150

    Being now made much abler to make their queries, of the ſecrets of that myſtery, by how much their often failings, had put them to often ſtops and nonpluſſes in the work.

    1657, Richard Ligon, A True & Exact History of the Island of Barbados. […], London: […] Humphrey Moseley, […], page 85

    And if both of them are at a perfect Non-plus, and Baffle to all Humane Underſtanding; is it poſſible for Natural Reaſon to comprehend what the Heart of Man cannot conceive?

    1715, Robert South, “A Discourse Concerning the General Resurrection. On Acts xxiv. 15. […]”, in Twelve Sermons Preached at Several Times, and upon Several Occasions, volume IV, London: […] G. James, for Jonah Bowyer […], →OCLC, page 269
verbnonplus (third-person singular simple present nonplusses or nonpluses, present participle nonplussing or nonplusing, simple past and past participle nonplussed or nonplused)

present singular third person nonplusses · present singular third person nonpluses · participle present nonplussing · participle present nonplusing · participle past nonplussed · past nonplussed · participle past nonplused · past nonplused · alternative non-plus

  1. transitiveTo bewilder or perplex (someone); to confound, to flummox.

    You couldn’t have told it from my manner, but I was feeling more than a bit nonplussed. The spectacle before me was enough to nonplus anyone.

    1934 October 5, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter II, in Right Ho, Jeeves, London: Herbert Jenkins […], →OCLC, page 24

Synonyms & antonyms

verbbe a mystery or bewildering to

Similar
perplexvexstickgetpuzzlemystifybafflebeatposebewilderflummoxstupefygravelamazedumbfound
Broader
confusethrowfox
Also see
amazebafflebeatbewilderdumbfoundflummoxgetgravelmystifyperplexposepuzzlestickstupefyvex

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*pleh₁-“to fill”
  2. Latinnōn plūs“no further, no more”
  3. Englishnonplus

The noun is derived from Latin nōn plūs (“no further, no more”), from nōn (“not”) + plūs (“additionally, more; further”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- (“to fill”)). The verb is derived from the noun.

More words from Latin, Proto-Indo-European

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian обърквам, затруднявам
  • обърквам (obărkvam)to bewilder or perplex (someone)
  • затруднявам (zatrudnjavam)to bewilder or perplex (someone)
Chinese Mandarin 使困惑
  • 使困惑to bewilder or perplex (someone)
Czech zaskočit
  • zaskočitto bewilder or perplex (someone)
Finnish hämmentää, saattaa ymmälle
  • hämmentääto bewilder or perplex (someone)
  • saattaa ymmälleto bewilder or perplex (someone)
  • askarruttaato bewilder or perplex (someone)
German verwirren, verdutzen
  • verwirrento bewilder or perplex (someone)
  • verdutzento bewilder or perplex (someone)
  • verblüffento bewilder or perplex (someone)
Greek μπερδεύω, σαστίζω
  • μπερδεύω (berdévo)to bewilder or perplex (someone)
  • σαστίζω (sastízo)to bewilder or perplex (someone)
Hungarian meghökkent, elképeszt
  • meghökkentto bewilder or perplex (someone)
  • elképesztto bewilder or perplex (someone)
Māori whakahēhē
  • whakahēhēto bewilder or perplex (someone)
Polish konsternować, skonsternować
  • konsternowaćto bewilder or perplex (someone)
  • skonsternowaćto bewilder or perplex (someone)
Portuguese pasmar
  • pasmarto bewilder or perplex (someone)
Russian озадачивать, запутывать
  • озадачивать (ozadačivatʹ)to bewilder or perplex (someone)
  • запутывать (zaputyvatʹ)to bewilder or perplex (someone)
Spanish confundir, desconcertar
  • confundirto bewilder or perplex (someone)
  • desconcertarto bewilder or perplex (someone)
  • perplejarto bewilder or perplex (someone)

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with nonplus

usplusthusdiscussbussusRusgustrussfusspusmusscussloesssuss++commuter busconcussdrive the porcelain busembuspercussquusstill with us
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

nonplus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nonplus

MLA

“nonplus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nonplus. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nonplus,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nonplus.

Source: nonplus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.