What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Perplex vs Stymie - What's the difference?

perplex | stymie |

As verbs the difference between perplex and stymie

is that perplex is to cause to feel baffled; to while stymie is to thwart or stump; to cause to fail or to leave hopelessly puzzled, confused, or stuck.

As an adjective perplex

is (obsolete) intricate; difficult.

As a noun stymie is

an obstacle or obstruction.

perplex

English

Verb

(es)
  • To cause to feel baffled; to .
  • To involve; to entangle; to make intricate or complicated.
  • * John Locke
    • What was thought obscure, perplexed , and too hard for our weak parts, will lie open to the understanding in a fair view.
  • (obsolete) To plague; to vex; to torment.
    • (Glanvill)

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Related terms

    * perplexed * perplexing * perplexity

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (obsolete) intricate; difficult
    • (Glanvill)
    (Webster 1913)

    External links

    * * *

    stymie

    English

    Alternative forms

    * stimy, stymy

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An obstacle or obstruction.
  • (golf) A situation where an opponent's ball is directly in the way of one's own ball and the hole, on the putting green.

    • Verb

    (d)
  • To thwart or stump; to cause to fail or to leave hopelessly puzzled, confused, or stuck.
    • They had lost the key, and the lock stymied the first three locksmiths they called.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2007, date=January 21, author=Joyce Cohen, title=Beauty in the Eye of the Renter, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=I was making such a drama in my head it was stymieing me. }}