How to use nonplussed in a sentence

12 example sentences · adjective

Nonplussed means unsure how to act or respond; bewildered, perplexed. Example: “For the nonce he was rather nonplussed but inasmuch as the duty plainly devolved upon him to take some measures on the subject he pondered suitable ways and means during which Stephen repeatedly yawned.”

Examples of nonplussed by meaning

adjectiveUnsure how to act or respond; bewildered, perplexed.

For the nonce he was rather nonplussed but inasmuch as the duty plainly devolved upon him to take some measures on the subject he pondered suitable ways and means during which Stephen repeatedly yawned.1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[Episode 16: Eumaeus]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC, part III [Nostos], page 569
You couldn’t have told it from my manner, but I was feeling more than a bit nonplussed.1934 October 5, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter II, in Right Ho, Jeeves, London: Herbert Jenkins […], →OCLC, page 24

adjectiveUnaffected, unfazed; unimpressed.

Baddeley remained nonplussed.1960 August 2, “Cleric’s error was to win his wagers”, in Oakland Tribune, home edition, volume CLXXIII, number 33, Oakland, Calif....
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.2002 April 14, Debra Pickett, “Sunday lunch with”, in Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago, Ill.: Chicago Public Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 24
From all appearances, he seemed nonplussed and never was remorseful or contrite.2003 September, Gerald F. Kreyche, “John Charles Fremont and the Exploration of the American West”, in USA Today, volume 132, number 2700...

More sentences with nonplussed

Great to meet you!’ Minka seems nonplussed at what I thought was an uncontroversial opening remark.2012, Mark Dolan, Do You Mind if I Put My Hand on it?: Journeys into the Worlds of the Weird, HarperCollins, →ISBN. From the entry hello
He didn’t look so much nonplussed, as distinctly minussed by the enthusiasm of my acquiescence.1990, Neville Steed, Black Mail, Leicester, Leics.: Ulverscroft, published 1992, →ISBN, pages 175–176. From the entry minussed
The public is not only nonplussed by rising prices but also minussed.1951 August 8, “Bypaths”, in Pathfinder, volume 58, number 16, Chicago, Ill.: Farm Journal, Inc., page 51. From the entry minussed
City will feel nonplussed when they review the tape and Pellegrini had to summon all his restraint in the post-match interviews.November 2 2014, Daniel Taylor, “Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United”, in guardian.co.uk. From the entry restraint
Jady was rarely nonplussed, normally being very plussed indeed, but Alison's ability to move events without really noticing astounded him.2000, Barry Tighe, Identity Cards, Barry Tighe, →ISBN. From the entry plussed
I was nonplussed, I stared at my teacher, never before had his swollen face seemed so replete with indifference, stone ataraxy.1993, Will Self, My Idea Of Fun. From the entry ataraxy
Philip Whalen was stung and nonplussed by Spicer's criticism, though in later years, mellowed by Zen abbotry, he dismissed Spicer as "unpleasant to everyone."1998, Lewis Ellingham, Kevin Killian, Poet Be Like God: Jack Spicer and the San Francisco Renaissance, →ISBN. From the entry abbotry

Meaning of nonplussed

adjective Unsure how to act or respond; bewildered, perplexed.
adjective Unaffected, unfazed; unimpressed.

Full definition of nonplussed

Questions about nonplussed in a sentence

How do you use nonplussed in a sentence?: Nonplussed is used as an adjective. For example: “For the nonce he was rather nonplussed but inasmuch as the duty plainly devolved upon him to take some measures on the subject he pondered suitable ways and means during which Stephen repeatedly yawned.”
What is a short sentence with nonplussed?: “Baddeley remained nonplussed.”
What does nonplussed mean?: Nonplussed means unsure how to act or respond; bewildered, perplexed.

Adapted from Wiktionary: nonplussed (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

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