Meaning

8 senses

  1. (also, reflexive, transitive)To cause (oneself or someone, or their mind, etc.) to feel confused or mystified because they cannot understand a complicated matter, a problem, etc.; to confuse, to mystify, to perplex.

    durcheinander bringen, verwirren

  2. (transitive)To use (one's brain or mind) to try to work out a complicated matter, a problem, etc.; also, to try to work out (a complicated matter, a problem, etc.).

  3. (intransitive)Often followed by about, over, or upon: to feel confused or mystified because one cannot understand a complicated matter, a problem, etc.

  4. (intransitive)Often followed by about, over, or or upon: to think deeply in bewilderment to try to work out a complicated matter, a problem, etc.

    We puzzled over the curious-shaped lock, but were unable to discover how the key should be inserted.

  5. (intransitive)To search in a confused or mystified manner.

  6. (intransitive)Followed by through: to solve a complicated matter, a problem, etc., by working through confusing or difficult matters.

  7. (obsolete, transitive)To (intentionally) make (something) complicated or confused, and so difficult to resolve or understand; to confuse, to complicate.

  8. (obsolete, transitive)To cause (someone) to not know what to do due to some problem, situation, etc.; to bewilder, to confound, to perplex.

More definitions
  • be uncertain about; think about without fully understanding or being able to decide
  • be a mystery or bewildering to

Examples

484 sentences

  1. No one could solve the puzzle.

    Ніхто не зміг розв'язати цю загадку. — deniko

    ruНикто не смог разгадать загадку. — marafon

    deNiemand konnte das Rätsel lösen. — clarimariath

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. I doubt if Tom will be puzzled.

    Сумніваюся, що Том буде збентежений. — deniko

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. Tom likes crossword puzzles.

    Тому подобаються кросворди. — rmdas

    ruТому нравятся кроссворды. — odexed

    deTom mag Kreuzworträtsel. — pullnosemans

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · C1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  4. Can you solve this puzzle?

    Ти можеш розгадати цю загадку? — fagott

    ruВы можете решить эту загадку? — odexed

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  5. Tom is puzzled.

    Том дивується. — deniko

    ruТом озадачен. — odexed

    deTom ist verwirrt. — Pfirsichbaeumchen

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

3 languages
Deutsch
By meaning 1
(transitive) to cause (oneself, or someone or their mind, etc.) to feel confused or mystified because they cannot understand a complicated matter, a problem, etc.:

Origin

The verb, of uncertain origin, is attested first. Apparently cognate with Scots pousle, po

The verb, of uncertain origin, is attested first. Apparently cognate with Scots pousle, pouzle, poozle (“to trifle; poke or potter around aimlessly; search about with uncertainty”), Saterland Frisian puzelje (“to work hard and continuously”), West Frisian peuzelje (“to trifle, work slowly; eat slowly and daintifully, snack”), Dutch peuzelen (“to perform insignificant work, dawdle; pick at, eat with relish in small pieces, snack”), German Low German pusseln (“to tinker, fiddle; trifle”) and pöseln (“to work hard, toil; to slave away; suffer at work; work slowly and ineffectively”), German posseln, bosseln (“to perform trivial work, tinker”), Danish pusle (“to busy oneself with light work or chores; to be occupied with a task requiring ingenuity, care, and patience; to tinker”), Swedish pyssla (“to do light work; tinker; putter or potter around”), Norwegian Nynorsk pusla, putla (“to potter about”), Faroese putla (“to trifle; potter about; do one's work slowly; be dilatory”), Faroese puss (“damage, trick”).

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

puzzles, puzzling, puzzled, puzzled
Base formpuzzle · to puzzle
3rd person singularpuzzles
Present participlepuzzling
Past simplepuzzled
Past participlepuzzled

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theypuzzle
he, she, itpuzzles

Past simpleLesson

all personspuzzled

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave puzzled
he, she, ithas puzzled

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill puzzle

Phrasal verbs

3 phrasal verbs

Synonyms

53 synonyms
loseA2stickB1throwA2bewilderB2complicateB1confuseA2dazzleB1blindB1knotB2muddyB2empuzzleaddlebafflevex
Close in meaning

Word family

13 related words
Relatedpuzzlementpuzzler
DerivedpuzzledB2unpuzzlebepuzzleempuzzlepuzzleationpuzzle-monkeypuzzle outpuzzle overpuzzle throughpuzzlewitpuzzling

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

Collocations

12 patterns
  • solve the puzzle
  • solve this puzzle
  • crossword puzzles
  • a bit puzzled
  • jigsaw puzzle
  • bit puzzled
  • was puzzled by
  • solving puzzles
  • looked puzzled
  • was very puzzled
  • seemed puzzled
  • this puzzle is

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
puttyputzpuzzlementpwnpygmalion

Dictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.

puzzle — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto