puzzle
English
Etymology
Origin uncertain; originally pusle. Possibly from pose (“to perplex, puzzle, interrogate”) + -le (frequentative suffix). The verb (1590s) “to perplex” seems to predate the noun “state of being perplexed” (circa 1600), “perplexing question” (1650s), “toy” (1814).[1]
Pronunciation
- enPR: pŭzʹəl, IPA(key): /ˈpʌzəl/
Audio (CA) (file) - Rhymes: -ʌzəl
Noun
puzzle (plural puzzles)
- Anything that is difficult to understand or make sense of.
- Where he went after he left the house is a puzzle.
- A game for one or more people that is more or less difficult to work out or complete.
- A crossword puzzle.
- A jigsaw puzzle.
- A riddle.
- (archaic) Something made with marvellous skill; something of ingenious construction.
- The state of being puzzled; perplexity.
- to be in a puzzle
Synonyms
- (anything difficult to understand or make sense of): anybody's guess, anyone's guess, conundrum, enigma, mystery
- (game for one person): brain-teaser, poser
- (crossword puzzle): crossword, crossword puzzle
- (jigsaw puzzle):: jigsaw, jigsaw puzzle
- (riddle): guessing game, riddle
Derived terms
- 15 puzzle
- burr puzzle
- Chinese finger puzzle
- Chinese puzzle
- crossword puzzle
- floor puzzle
- food puzzle
- jigsaw puzzle
- lawyer's puzzle
- monkey puzzle
- Parsons puzzle
- puzzle box
- puzzle canon
- puzzle cube
- puzzled
- puzzlement
- puzzle-monkey
- puzzle out
- puzzle over
- puzzle-peg
- puzzler
- puzzle ring
- puzzling
- twisty puzzle
- xword puzzle
- zigsaw puzzle
Descendants
- → Korean: 퍼즐 (peojeul)
Translations
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Verb
puzzle (third-person singular simple present puzzles, present participle puzzling, simple past and past participle puzzled)
- (transitive) To perplex, confuse, or mystify; to cause (someone) to be faced with a mystery, without answers or an explanation.
- 1634 September 1 (Gregorian calendar), Robert Sanderson, “[Ad Clerum.] The Fourth Sermon. At a Metropolitical Visitation at Grantham, Lincoln, 22 August 1634.”, in XXXIV Sermons. […], 5th edition, London: […] [A. Clark] for A. Seil, and are to be sold by G. Sawbridge, […], published 1671, →OCLC, paragraph 15, page 65:
- Mens daily occaſions for themſelves or friends, and the neceſities of common life, require the doing of a thouſand things vvithin the compaſs of a fevv dayes, for vvhich it vvould puzzle the beſt Textman that liveth; readily to bethink himself of a ſentence in the Bible, clear enough to ſatisfie a ſcrupulous conſcience of the lavvfulneſs and expediency of vvhat he is about to do; […]
- 1668, Franciscus Euistor the Palæopolite [pseudonym; Henry More], “(please specify the page)”, in Divine Dialogues, Containing Sundry Disquisitions & Instructions Concerning the Attributes of God and His Providence in the World. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Joseph Downing […], published 1713, →OCLC:
- A very shrewd disputant in those points is dexterous in puzzling others, if they be not thoroughpaced speculators in those great theories.
- 1712 February 13 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “SATURDAY, February 2, 1711–1712”, in The Spectator, number 291; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume III, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:
- He is perpetually puzzled and perplexed amidst his own blunders.
- 1927, F. E. Penny, chapter 4, in Pulling the Strings:
- The case was that of a murder. It had an element of mystery about it, however, which was puzzling the authorities. A turban and loincloth soaked in blood had been found; also a staff.
- 2004, George Carlin, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 261:
- When it comes to God's existence, I'm not an atheist and I'm not an agnostic. I'm an acrostic. The whole thing puzzles me.
- (intransitive) To think long and carefully, in bewilderment.
- We puzzled over the curious-shaped lock, but were unable to discover how the key should be inserted.
- (transitive) To make intricate; to entangle.
- 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 1:
- The ways of Heav'n are dark and intricate, / Puzzled in mazes, and perplex'd with error.
- 1782–1785, William Cowper, “(please specify the page)”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC:
- They disentangle from the puzzled skein.
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:confuse
Derived terms
- puzzled
- puzzle out
- puzzle over
- puzzler
- puzzle through
- puzzling (adjective, noun)
Translations
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Related terms
References
- Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “puzzle”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Anagrams
Czech
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈpazl̩]
- (nonstandard, hyperforeign) IPA(key): [ˈput͡slɛ]
Usage notes
Also used as an indeclinable noun of various genders, most often neuter.[2]
Although the standard pronunciation of this word, which has been borrowed from English, is /ˈpazl̩/, another common informal pronunciation is /ˈput͡sle/, which is a hyperforeignism, trying to apply either Italian (as in pizza) or more probably German pronunciation rules.[3] However, both Italian and German pronunciation of the word puzzle is different.
Declension
when masculine:
Indeclinable when neuter or feminine.
References
- "puzzle" in Jiří Rejzek, Český etymologický slovník, electronic version, Leda, 2007
- puzzle in Internetová jazyková příručka, Institute of the Czech Language of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
- Z dopisů jazykové poradně, Naše řeč, volume 82 (1999), issue 5
French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pœ.zœl/, /pœzl/, /pyzl/
audio (file)
Further reading
- “puzzle”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Hungarian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈpaːzl̩], [ˈpaːzəl] (also with a short [a])
- Hyphenation: puzzle (cannot be hyphenated)
- Rhymes: -əl
Noun
puzzle (plural puzzle-ök or puzzle-ok or puzzle-k)[1][2]
- jigsaw puzzle
- Synonyms: (képes) kirakó/kirakójáték, kirakós (játék), képkirakó/képkirakós (játék), (rare) pázli
Declension
Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony) | ||
---|---|---|
singular | plural | |
nominative | puzzle | puzzle-ok |
accusative | puzzle-t | puzzle-okat |
dative | puzzle-nak | puzzle-oknak |
instrumental | puzzle-lal | puzzle-okkal |
causal-final | puzzle-ért | puzzle-okért |
translative | puzzle-lá | puzzle-okká |
terminative | puzzle-ig | puzzle-okig |
essive-formal | puzzle-ként | puzzle-okként |
essive-modal | — | — |
inessive | puzzle-ban | puzzle-okban |
superessive | puzzle-on | puzzle-okon |
adessive | puzzle-nál | puzzle-oknál |
illative | puzzle-ba | puzzle-okba |
sublative | puzzle-ra | puzzle-okra |
allative | puzzle-hoz | puzzle-okhoz |
elative | puzzle-ból | puzzle-okból |
delative | puzzle-ról | puzzle-okról |
ablative | puzzle-tól | puzzle-októl |
non-attributive possessive - singular |
puzzle-é | puzzle-oké |
non-attributive possessive - plural |
puzzle-éi | puzzle-okéi |
Possessive forms of puzzle | ||
---|---|---|
possessor | single possession | multiple possessions |
1st person sing. | puzzle-om | puzzle-jaim |
2nd person sing. | puzzle-od | puzzle-jaid |
3rd person sing. | puzzle-ja | puzzle-jai |
1st person plural | puzzle-unk | puzzle-jaink |
2nd person plural | puzzle-otok | puzzle-jaitok |
3rd person plural | puzzle-juk | puzzle-jaik |
or
Inflection (stem in -ö-, front rounded harmony) | ||
---|---|---|
singular | plural | |
nominative | puzzle | puzzle-ök |
accusative | puzzle-t | puzzle-öket |
dative | puzzle-nek | puzzle-öknek |
instrumental | puzzle-lel | puzzle-ökkel |
causal-final | puzzle-ért | puzzle-ökért |
translative | puzzle-lé | puzzle-ökké |
terminative | puzzle-ig | puzzle-ökig |
essive-formal | puzzle-ként | puzzle-ökként |
essive-modal | — | — |
inessive | puzzle-ben | puzzle-ökben |
superessive | puzzle-ön | puzzle-ökön |
adessive | puzzle-nél | puzzle-öknél |
illative | puzzle-be | puzzle-ökbe |
sublative | puzzle-re | puzzle-ökre |
allative | puzzle-höz | puzzle-ökhöz |
elative | puzzle-ből | puzzle-ökből |
delative | puzzle-ről | puzzle-ökről |
ablative | puzzle-től | puzzle-öktől |
non-attributive possessive - singular |
puzzle-é | puzzle-öké |
non-attributive possessive - plural |
puzzle-éi | puzzle-ökéi |
Possessive forms of puzzle | ||
---|---|---|
possessor | single possession | multiple possessions |
1st person sing. | puzzle-öm | puzzle-jeim |
2nd person sing. | puzzle-öd | puzzle-jeid |
3rd person sing. | puzzle-je | puzzle-jei |
1st person plural | puzzle-ünk | puzzle-jeink |
2nd person plural | puzzle-ötök | puzzle-jeitek |
3rd person plural | puzzle-jük | puzzle-jeik |
Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony) | ||
---|---|---|
singular | plural | |
nominative | puzzle | puzzle-k |
accusative | puzzle-t | puzzle-kat |
dative | puzzle-nak | puzzle-knak |
instrumental | puzzle-val | puzzle-kkal |
causal-final | puzzle-ért | puzzle-kért |
translative | puzzle-vá | puzzle-kká |
terminative | puzzle-ig | puzzle-kig |
essive-formal | puzzle-ként | puzzle-kként |
essive-modal | — | — |
inessive | puzzle-ban | puzzle-kban |
superessive | puzzle-n | puzzle-kon |
adessive | puzzle-nál | puzzle-knál |
illative | puzzle-ba | puzzle-kba |
sublative | puzzle-ra | puzzle-kra |
allative | puzzle-hoz | puzzle-khoz |
elative | puzzle-ból | puzzle-kból |
delative | puzzle-ról | puzzle-król |
ablative | puzzle-tól | puzzle-któl |
non-attributive possessive - singular |
puzzle-é | puzzle-ké |
non-attributive possessive - plural |
puzzle-éi | puzzle-kéi |
Possessive forms of puzzle | ||
---|---|---|
possessor | single possession | multiple possessions |
1st person sing. | puzzle-m | puzzle-jaim |
2nd person sing. | puzzle-d | puzzle-jaid |
3rd person sing. | puzzle-ja | puzzle-jai |
1st person plural | puzzle-nk | puzzle-jaink |
2nd person plural | puzzle-tok | puzzle-jaitok |
3rd person plural | puzzle-juk | puzzle-jaik |
Derived terms
- puzzle-darab
- puzzle-ozik or puzzle-özik
See also
- kirak (“to do [a jigsaw puzzle]”)
References
- Miképpen kell kiejteni és toldalékolni a puzzle szót? (“How is the word puzzle to be pronounced and inflected?”) answered by E-nyelv.hu, based on Laczkó, Krisztina with Attila Mártonfi (2006) Helyesírás [Orthography], Budapest: Osiris Kiadó, →ISBN
- puzzle toldalékolása (“inflection of puzzle”) answered by E-nyelv.hu
Italian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈpad.d͡zol/
- Rhymes: -addzol
- IPA(key): (careful style) /ˈpa.zol/, (careful style) /ˈpa.zel/[1]
- Rhymes: (careful style) -azol, (careful style) -azel
References
- puzzle in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)
Polish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈpuz.lɛ/, (nonstandard) /ˈput͡s.lɛ/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -uzlɛ
- Syllabification: puzz‧le
Noun
puzzle nvir pl
- jigsaw puzzle (type of puzzle in which the aim is to reconstruct a picture that has been cut (originally, with a jigsaw) into many small interlocking pieces)
Declension
Portuguese
Romanian
Declension
Spanish
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): (Spain) /ˈpuθle/ [ˈpuθ.le]
- IPA(key): (Latin America) /ˈpusle/ [ˈpus.le]
- (Spain) Rhymes: -uθle
- (Latin America) Rhymes: -usle
- Syllabification: puzz‧le
Usage notes
The recommended spelling is puzle.
Turkish
Alternative forms
- pazıl
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈpa.zɯɫ/
Further reading
- Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “puzzle”, in Nişanyan Sözlük