nonplussed — the most vexing word in the English language

Ever since I first encountered it in my teen years, I've dutifully gone and looked it up, then made a serious effort to memorize its meaning so as not to ever have to do so again.

And yet, last night when it appeared in something I was reading, for maybe the fiftieth time in my life I wasn't sure if it meant confused/perplexed — or the opposite.

Here's a dictionary definition of nonplussed: "perplexed; confused; bewildered; disconcerted."

Its origin: "From Latin non plus, no more: non, not; see non + plus, more."

A synonym: "At a loss."

That's the most common meaning.

But wait — in recent years it has also come to mean just the opposite: "not dismayed; indifferent or unexcited; calm."

I hadn't yet told my girlfriend I was leaving — I didn't want to risk being crushed by a nonplussed response to the

The literal translation is indeed ambiguous.

FunFact: As if I'm not already confused enough, it can be spelled either "nonplussed" or "nonplused."

FunFact #2: It's also a noun meaning "A state of utter perplexity or bafflement."

So I guess you could say "I'm in a nonplus," which exactly no one would comprehend.