puzzlement

UK: ˈpʌz(ə)lmənt | US: ˈpʌzəlmənt

Definition

  1. n. a state of confusion or bewilderment

  2. n. something that puzzles or perplexes

Structure
puzzle <to perplex>ment <noun suffix indicating state or result>
Etymology

The word "puzzlement" combines "puzzle," derived from the late 16th-century verb meaning "to perplex" (possibly from "pose," influenced by "puzzle" as a game), and the suffix "-ment," from Old French "-ment," denoting an action or resulting state. The term evolved to describe both the feeling of confusion and the thing causing it, reflecting its dual role in English.

Examples

  1. Her sudden resignation left the team in utter puzzlement.

  2. The cryptic message was a source of puzzlement for the detectives.

  3. He scratched his head in puzzlement at the complicated instructions.

  4. The professor's lecture only deepened the students' puzzlement.

  5. The strange artifact caused widespread puzzlement among archaeologists.