"bewildering, perplexing," 1660s, present-participle adjective from puzzle (v.). Related: Puzzlingly.
Entries linking to puzzling
puzzle v.
1590s, pusle "bewilder, confound, perplex with difficult problems or questions," possibly frequentative of pose (v.) in obsolete sense of "perplex" (compare nuzzle from nose). To puzzle (something) out "resolve or discover by long cogitation or careful investigation" is by 1781. Related: Puzzled; puzzling.