Puzzled
/ˈpʌz.əld/noun
Confused or unable to understand something.
Did you know?“Puzzled” comes from the verb *puzzle*, which likely began as a dialect word meaning “to bewilder or confuse,” and only later became tied to the idea of a literal jigsaw puzzle.
Etymological Timeline
Late 16th Century
English
puzzle
“To bewilder or confuse”
17th Century
English
puzzled
“Confused, nonplussed”
17th Century
English
puzzle
“A perplexing problem or enigma”
19th Century
English
puzzle
“A game or toy made of interlocking pieces”