Puzzlement
/ˈpʌz.əl.mənt/noun
A state of being confused or unable to understand something.
Did you know?Although its exact origin is uncertain, *puzzle* entered English in the 16th century with senses tied to bewildering or perplexing someone, and *puzzlement* later named the mental state as if confusion itself had become a thing.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
English
puzzle
“to bewilder, perplex, or confound”
17th Century
English
puzzlement
“the state of being puzzled or perplexed”
Uncertain
English
puzzle
“possibly from an expressive or dialectal verb meaning to bewilder or from a now-lost source”
Modern English
English
puzzlement
“confusion or perplexity”