Puzzlingly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a fashion that generates ambiguity or raises doubts about understanding
2. In a way that causes someone to feel uncertain or unclear about something
3. Expressed or done so as to make comprehension difficult or obscure

Etymology: "Puzzlingly" is simply "puzzling" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" attached, so its story is really the story of that suffix. The "-ly" ending descends from an Old English form "-līċe," which in turn grew out of a Proto-Germanic word "līkaz," meaning "body" or "form," or "like" in the sense of resembling something. The idea was that something happens in a manner that has the appearance of a given quality, so "-ly" turned adjectives into adverbs describing how an action is done. The base word, "puzzling," is an adjective formed from "puzzle" with the participial ending "-ing," giving the sense of something that perplexes. Attaching "-ly" to it produces an adverb describing an action or state done in a way that leaves the observer uncertain or unclear.

Synonyms: confusingly, bewilderingly, perplexingly

Antonyms: clearly, easily, simply