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Perplexity vs Conundrum - What's the difference?

perplexity | conundrum | Related terms |

As nouns the difference between perplexity and conundrum

is that perplexity is the state or quality of being perplexed; puzzled or confused while conundrum is a difficult question or riddle, especially one using a play on words in the answer.

perplexity

English

Noun

(perplexities)
  • The state or quality of being perplexed; puzzled or confused.
  • Something that perplexes.
  • * 1942 , Rebecca West, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon (Canongate 2006), page 149:
  • The Emperor, who was by then a focus of unresolvable perplexities , stood providing a strongly contrary appearance.
  • A measurement in information theory: see (Perplexity).
  • conundrum

    English

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • A difficult question or riddle, especially one using a play on words in the answer.
  • * 1816 ,
  • “Why should I understand that, or anything else?” asked the girl. “Don’t bother my head by asking conundrums , I beg of you. Just let me discover myself in my own way.”
  • A difficult choice or decision that must be made.
  • * 2004 , , statement read before being sentenced to five months in prison
  • And while I am more concerned about the well-being of others than for myself, more hurt for them and for their losses than for my own, more worried for their futures than for the future of Martha Stewart the person, you are faced with a conundrum , a problem of monumental, to me, proportions.

    Synonyms

    * (difficult question) brain-teaser, enigma, puzzle, riddle * (difficult choice) dilemma