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



RESET




Word of the Day

10 May 2024

MASQUERADE

(verb) pretend to be someone or something that you are not; “he is masquerading as an expert on the internet”; “This silly novel is masquerading as a serious historical treaty”


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Coffee Trivia

Some 16th-century Italian clergymen tried to ban coffee because they believed it to be “satanic.” However, Pope Clement VII loved coffee so much that he lifted the ban and had coffee baptized in 1600.

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