Perplexingly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner that causes confusion or bewilderment through being difficult to understand or explain
2. In a way that creates a sense of confusion due to complexity or lack of clarity
3. Through actions that lead to uncertainty or puzzlement because of intricate or unclear elements

Etymology: "Perplexingly" is simply "perplexing" with the adverbial ending "-ly" added. The adjective "perplexing" comes from the verb "perplex," which goes back to Latin "perplexus," meaning "entangled" or "intricate," built from "per-" (thoroughly) and "plexus" (braided or woven). The original picture is of threads knotted so tightly together that you cannot tell one from another, and the sense of confusion is that same tangle carried into the mind. The ending traces back much further. It descends from an Old English suffix "-līċe," which in turn comes from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "body" or "form," so that a word like "perplexingly" literally describes something done in the manner or appearance of a perplexing thing. Over the centuries the Old English "-līċe" softened into Middle English "-ly," the form still used today.

Synonyms: confoundingly, bewilderingly, puzzlingly, mysteriously, bafflingly