puzzled

IPA/ˈpʌzld/
KK[pˈʌzəld]IPA/ˈpʌzld/

puzzled — adjective

  • puzzledpositive
  • more puzzledcomparative
  • most puzzledsuperlative

1. feeling confused or uncertain because something is difficult to understand or ex

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

feeling confused or uncertain because something is difficult to understand or explain

Example

Adisa looked puzzled when his phone suddenly stopped working for no reason.

be puzzled when + [unexpected situation]

A puzzled expression crossed Bao's face when the doorbell rang at midnight.

puzzled + noun (attributive: expression/face)

Common collocations
  • puzzled look/expression/frown/face
  • puzzled by/at/about
  • look/feel/seem/sound/remain puzzled
Synonyms
  • confused

    More general and common; suitable for any situation where understanding is lost

  • perplexed

    Slightly more formal; suggests a thoughtful, ongoing state of puzzlement

  • bewildered

    Stronger; implies being overwhelmed by too many conflicting impressions

  • baffled

    More informal; suggests complete inability to understand, as if facing an impossible puzzle

Antonyms
  • clear-headed

    Feeling mentally clear and able to understand easily

  • certain

    Having no doubt about what something means or what to do

Grammar Patterns

be puzzled + by/at/about + noun/wh-clause

puzzled + noun (look/expression/frown)

Usage Note

Commonly used both before a noun (a puzzled look) and after a linking verb such as be, seem, or look (she seemed puzzled). Often followed by about, at, or by to indicate the cause of the confusion.

Common Mistakes

I am puzzling about the math problem.
I am puzzled about the math problem.
'puzzling' describes something that causes confusion (e.g. a puzzling problem), while 'puzzled' describes the feeling of being confused.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

While all four words describe mental uncertainty, they differ in degree and register. Confused is the most general and common, suitable for any situation where understanding is lost. Perplexed suggests a more thoughtful, puzzled state — you are still trying to work something out rather than giving up. Bewildered implies a stronger form of confusion, often with a sense of being overwhelmed by many conflicting impressions at once. Baffled is slightly more informal and suggests complete inability to understand, as if faced with an impossible riddle. For example: 'The badly written instructions left the students confused.' 'She was perplexed by her colleague's sudden change of attitude.' 'The tourists looked bewildered by the chaos of the night market.' 'I was completely baffled by the final clue in the treasure hunt.'

confused ↗perplexedbewildered ↗baffled ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • genuinely puzzled
  • slightly puzzled
  • clearly puzzled
  • somewhat puzzled
  • utterly puzzled
  • obviously puzzled

Phrases

  • looked puzzled
  • felt puzzled
  • seemed puzzled
  • remained puzzled

Prepositions

  • puzzled by
  • puzzled at
  • puzzled about

Etymology

uncertain originEnglish

The exact origin is uncertain, but 'puzzle' first appeared in English in the late 1500s. It may come from the verb 'pose' (to ask a question or put forward a problem) combined with a frequentative suffix, giving the sense of 'asking repeatedly' or 'posing difficult questions.' The idea of mental confusion developed in the early 1600s, and the adjective 'puzzled' soon followed to describe someone in that state.