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puzzlement

American  
[puhz-uhl-muhnt] / ˈpʌz əl mənt /

noun

  1. the state of being puzzled; perplexity.

  2. something puzzling. puzzling.

ˈpuzzlement British  
/ ˈpʌzəlmənt /

noun

  1. the state or condition of being puzzled; perplexity

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of puzzlement

First recorded in 1815–25; puzzle + -ment

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Her face wrinkled in puzzlement as she said it.

From Literature

I had no notion at first as to what it might be, and from the look of puzzlement on his face as he handed it over to her, neither did Karl.

From Literature

Torak took the spear uncertainly, and watched in puzzlement as Oslak strapped the toughened hide round his right forearm for him.

From Literature

Reporters reacted with some puzzlement to news of the appointments as they were announced on Thursday, with some suggesting it still amounted to an act of defiance.

From BBC

Social media responded to the warning with puzzlement: “I get it. It was like 49 degrees and sunny this morning. It’s tough in these streets.”

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.