PUZZLING

confusing, perplexing, puzzling

(adjective) lacking clarity of meaning; causing confusion or perplexity; “sent confusing signals to Iraq”; “perplexing to someone who knew nothing about it”; “a puzzling statement”

enigmatic, enigmatical, puzzling

(adjective) not clear to the understanding; “I didn’t grasp the meaning of that enigmatic comment until much later”; “prophetic texts so enigmatic that their meaning has been disputed for centuries”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Verb

puzzling

present participle of puzzle

Adjective

puzzling (comparative more puzzling, superlative most puzzling)

Difficult to understand or explain; enigmatic or confusing; perplexing.

Noun

puzzling (plural puzzlings)

Time spent pondering something confusing.

Source: Wiktionary

PUZZLE

Puz"zle, n. Etym: [For opposal, in the sense of problem. See Oppose, Pose, v.]

1. Something which perplexes or embarrasses; especially, a toy or a problem contrived for testing ingenuity; also, something exhibiting marvelous skill in making.

2. The state of being puzzled; perplexity; as, to be in a puzzle.

Puz"zle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Puzzled; p. pr. & vb. n. Puzzling.]

1. To perplex; to confuse; to embarrass; to put to a stand; to nonplus. A very shrewd disputant in those points is dexterous in puzzling others. Dr. H. More. He is perpetually puzzled and perplexed amidst his own blunders. Addison.

2. To make intricate; to entangle. They disentangle from the puzzled skein. Cowper. The ways of Heaven are dark and intricate, Puzzled in mazes, and perplexed with error. Addison.

3. To solve by ingenuity, as a puzzle; -- followed by out; as, to puzzle out a mystery.

Syn.

– To embarrass; perplex; confuse; bewilder; confound. See Embarrass.

Puz"zle, v. i.

1. To be bewildered, or perplexed. A puzzling fool, that heeds nothing. L'Estrange.

2. To work, as at a puzzle; as, to puzzle over a problem.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition