What's the difference between mystify and perplex?

Mystify


Definition:

  • (v. t.) To involve in mystery; to make obscure or difficult to understand; as, to mystify a passage of Scripture.
  • (v. t.) To perplex the mind of; to puzzle; to impose upon the credulity of ; as, to mystify an opponent.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The form of address for British surgeons--"Mister" instead of "Doctor"--has mystified other members of the medical profession for years.
  • (2) His spokesman said that the producer was "mystified" by the police's investigation.
  • (3) Medicine is being de-mystified and individuals and communities are encouraged to take over responsibility for their own health.
  • (4) All of these insults to the Apple brand might have been borne, maybe, until the biggest insult of all came: a steady and otherwise mystifying drop in Apple's stock price.
  • (5) Complicated and mystifying as the snake envenomation process may appear, the toxic principles of snake venoms are biochemical entities that could be isolated, purified and characterized.
  • (6) This week we went in search of some of the most extreme prices – ultra-high and ultra-low – which highlight the mystifying nature of rail pricing in Britain.
  • (7) Everybody I spoke to said this, in a sort of mystified way: wasn't it different when we were kids?
  • (8) "I would argue to make the case that somehow we are in the dark is mystifying to me," Rogers says.
  • (9) His memoir The Discomfort Zone describes his older brother Tom leaving home after a row with his father: mystified and ashamed, the Franzen family "quarantined itself and suffered by itself", much as the Berglunds do after Joey moves out.
  • (10) Those who don't suffer from them find them mystifying; childish, even.
  • (11) It would be fair to say that the Spanish are shocked and mystified by the Brexit decision – and offended.
  • (12) Every pub draws the audience it deserves, and Bar Fringe's crowd is an unlikely mix of hairy bikers, bohemian folk, gnarled beer-tickers and brainy students, who leave mystifying, maths-related graffiti in the toilets.
  • (13) The government’s attitude to the BBC rather mystifies me,” Bryant told MPs.
  • (14) Stoke went into the contest on a three-match winning run in the Premier League and their manager, Mark Hughes, admitted he had been left mystified by the performance his players produced on his 100th game in charge at the club.
  • (15) Very rarely in my experience do the banks capitulate and reverse their decisions, however mystifying.
  • (16) Now there's a sense of shock, everyone's mystified and almost in a state of dread."
  • (17) Wenger admitted afterwards that he was mystified why they had left only one defender at the back and it was the same again shortly afterwards when Ángel Di Maria burst free only to try something similar and chip wide.
  • (18) You must hope we parents are so mystified by this that we’ll think it represents “rigour”.
  • (19) Paul Pogba fails to justify £100m price tag but does enough against Germany | Barney Ronay Read more Joachim Löw’s post-match demeanour betrayed a man mystified by elimination, particularly given the dominance his team had enjoyed throughout virtually the entirety of the first half.
  • (20) "What mystifies me is that Murdoch's attack on the Times can in the short term only hurt both papers by costing them both a great deal.

Perplex


Definition:

  • (a.) To involve; to entangle; to make intricate or complicated, and difficult to be unraveled or understood; as, to perplex one with doubts.
  • (a.) To embarrass; to puzzle; to distract; to bewilder; to confuse; to trouble with ambiguity, suspense, or anxiety.
  • (a.) To plague; to vex; to tormen.
  • (a.) Intricate; difficult.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Perplexed, from being absorbed into some undateable future world governed by an advanced technology whose capacities have to be learned as one reads.
  • (2) The sergeant, listening in, was perplexed: "We obviously have, because I can hear you on the radio.
  • (3) Whether FcR-mediated signaling and receptor-mediated signaling involved in NK activity share specific biochemical intermediates is not known, but the involvement of tyrosine kinase function in the latter means of cytotoxicity may provide novel avenues for understanding the biochemical basis of this perplexing cellular function.
  • (4) The arteriogram correctly localized the precise site of hemorrhage in this perplexing case, and a complex surgical problem was simplified.
  • (5) The trauma-ready practice must also be cognizant of the some-times perplexing legal and insurance issues with regard to preventing and treating sport-related injuries.
  • (6) According to Lukyanov, the Kremlin is “perplexed” by Trump because it’s not clear what his priorities are nor whether he can work with Congress to achieve them.
  • (7) While treatment of a young woman with a dysgerminoma of 1 ovary is a matter of perplexity, we believe that a unilateral operation should be limited to those women who desire above all earthly things to retain their childbearing capacity.
  • (8) The most perplexing issues in pediatric dentistry today are related to the management of patients.
  • (9) "It is perplexing and preposterous to hear human rights complaints from the US, where torture and kidnapping are legal in the 21st century."
  • (10) It was a wretched goal to concede and the unfortunate truth for Mignolet is that moment reminded us why many Liverpool supporters are perplexed he has been awarded a new five-year contract.
  • (11) Instead, when we meet her at the beginning of the series, Nyborg is more concerned with moving house – presumably supplying viewers with shots of a variety of stylish new light fittings and perplexing floor plans to obsess over – than a political party with which she is increasingly disillusioned.
  • (12) I was [looks perplexed]: ‘Where’s the fabulous Madonna ?’ But it was still deeply interesting just to shake this tiny little hand, and say ‘You’re real’, because in the 80s, these people lived on plinths, they never came down to Earth.” This encounter made Patterson realise that celebrity per se didn’t exist.
  • (13) The implementation of library orientation and bibliographic instruction in health sciences centers presents some interesting as well as perplexing problems.
  • (14) It is now shown that the perplexity may be due to the possibility that the coenzyme (NAD) required for UDPG-D activity, may be acting as a substrate for a second dehydrogenase, namely xanthine dehydrogenase, which may utilize NAD as its substrate.
  • (15) Management of the patient with tinnitus is an extremely perplexing problem.
  • (16) Paul Salveson, author of a new book on the future of the railways, Railpolitik , is equally perplexed.
  • (17) Prematurity is one of the most perplexing problems in perinatal care.
  • (18) If chemical weapons were used, the timing of the attack is perplexing, the inspector said.
  • (19) Perplexing findings of cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP's) for determining the central sulcus during a craniotomy are reported in a case of brain tumor.
  • (20) As cellular and molecular approaches combine with physiologic techniques, new information will be available to address the clinical issues of luteal dysfunction which perplex us all.