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puzzle
" Why do we take pleasure in gruesome death, neatly packaged as a puzzle to which we may find a satisfactory solution through clues - or if we are not clever enough, have it revealed by the all-powerful tale-teller at the end of the book? It is something to do with being reduced to, and comforted by, playing by the rules."
A. S. Byatt

Meaning of "puzzle" in the English dictionary

DICTIONARY

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD PUZZLE

Of unknown origin.
Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF PUZZLE

ˈpʌzəl


GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF PUZZLE

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Puzzle is a verb and can also act as a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb puzzle in English.

WHAT DOES PUZZLE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Puzzle

A puzzle is a game or problem that tests a person's ingenuity. In a puzzle, one is required to put pieces together, in a logical way, in order to arrive at the correct solution of the puzzle. There are different types of puzzles for different ages. Puzzles are often devised as a form of entertainment but they can also arise from serious mathematical or logistical problems. In such cases, their solution may be a significant contribution to mathematical research. Solutions of puzzles often require the recognition of patterns and the creation of a particular kind of order. People with a high level of inductive reasoning aptitude may be better at solving such puzzles than others. But puzzles based upon inquiry and discovery may be solved more easily by those with good deduction skills. Deductive reasoning improves with practice. Some notable creators of puzzles are Sam Loyd, Henry Dudeney, Boris Kordemsky and, more recently, David J. Bodycombe, Will Shortz, Lloyd King, and Martin Gardner.

Definition of puzzle in the English dictionary

The first definition of puzzle in the dictionary is to perplex or be perplexed. Other definition of puzzle is foll by over to attempt the solution ; ponder. Puzzle is also usually foll by out to solve by mental effort.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO PUZZLE

PRESENT

Present
I puzzle
you puzzle
he/she/it puzzles
we puzzle
you puzzle
they puzzle
Present continuous
I am puzzling
you are puzzling
he/she/it is puzzling
we are puzzling
you are puzzling
they are puzzling
Present perfect
I have puzzled
you have puzzled
he/she/it has puzzled
we have puzzled
you have puzzled
they have puzzled
Present perfect continuous
I have been puzzling
you have been puzzling
he/she/it has been puzzling
we have been puzzling
you have been puzzling
they have been puzzling
Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past
I puzzled
you puzzled
he/she/it puzzled
we puzzled
you puzzled
they puzzled
Past continuous
I was puzzling
you were puzzling
he/she/it was puzzling
we were puzzling
you were puzzling
they were puzzling
Past perfect
I had puzzled
you had puzzled
he/she/it had puzzled
we had puzzled
you had puzzled
they had puzzled
Past perfect continuous
I had been puzzling
you had been puzzling
he/she/it had been puzzling
we had been puzzling
you had been puzzling
they had been puzzling
Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future
I will puzzle
you will puzzle
he/she/it will puzzle
we will puzzle
you will puzzle
they will puzzle
Future continuous
I will be puzzling
you will be puzzling
he/she/it will be puzzling
we will be puzzling
you will be puzzling
they will be puzzling
Future perfect
I will have puzzled
you will have puzzled
he/she/it will have puzzled
we will have puzzled
you will have puzzled
they will have puzzled
Future perfect continuous
I will have been puzzling
you will have been puzzling
he/she/it will have been puzzling
we will have been puzzling
you will have been puzzling
they will have been puzzling
The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional
I would puzzle
you would puzzle
he/she/it would puzzle
we would puzzle
you would puzzle
they would puzzle
Conditional continuous
I would be puzzling
you would be puzzling
he/she/it would be puzzling
we would be puzzling
you would be puzzling
they would be puzzling
Conditional perfect
I would have puzzle
you would have puzzle
he/she/it would have puzzle
we would have puzzle
you would have puzzle
they would have puzzle
Conditional perfect continuous
I would have been puzzling
you would have been puzzling
he/she/it would have been puzzling
we would have been puzzling
you would have been puzzling
they would have been puzzling
Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative
you puzzle
we let´s puzzle
you puzzle
The imperative is used to form commands or requests.
NONFINITE VERB FORMS
Infinitive
to puzzle
Past participle
puzzled
Present Participle
puzzling
Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH PUZZLE

appraisal · Basel · basil · bezel · bumfuzzle · causal · diesel · disposal · fuzzle · guzzle · hazel · muzzle · nasal · nuzzle · proposal · puzzel · snuzzle · unmuzzle · unpuzzle · wuzzle

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE PUZZLE

puttylike · puttyroot · Putumayo · puture · putz · Puvis de Chavannes · puy · Puy de Sancy · puy lentil · puzzel · puzzle book · puzzled · puzzledly · puzzledom · puzzleheaded · puzzlement · puzzler · puzzling · puzzlingly · puzzolana

WORDS THAT END LIKE PUZZLE

bedazzle · Chinese puzzle · crossword puzzle · dazzle · drizzle · embezzle · fizzle · fo´ shizzle · frazzle · jigsaw puzzle · join-the-dots puzzle · mizzle · monkey puzzle · on the razzle · pizzle · razzle · shizzle · sizzle · swizzle · to a frazzle

Synonyms and antonyms of puzzle in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

SYNONYMS OF «PUZZLE»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «puzzle» and belong to the same grammatical category.

Translation of «puzzle» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR

TRANSLATION OF PUZZLE

Find out the translation of puzzle to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of puzzle from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «puzzle» in English.
zh

Translator English - Chinese

1,325 millions of speakers
es

Translator English - Spanish

rompecabezas
570 millions of speakers
en

English

puzzle
510 millions of speakers
hi

Translator English - Hindi

पहेली
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

لُغْز
280 millions of speakers
ru

Translator English - Russian

головоломка
278 millions of speakers
pt

Translator English - Portuguese

charada
270 millions of speakers
bn

Translator English - Bengali

ধাঁধা
260 millions of speakers
fr

Translator English - French

énigme
220 millions of speakers
ms

Translator English - Malay

Teka-teki
190 millions of speakers
de

Translator English - German

Rätsel
180 millions of speakers
ja

Translator English - Japanese

難問
130 millions of speakers
ko

Translator English - Korean

난문제
85 millions of speakers
jv

Translator English - Javanese

Teka-teki
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

vấn đề khó
80 millions of speakers
ta

Translator English - Tamil

புதிர்
75 millions of speakers
mr

Translator English - Marathi

कोडे
75 millions of speakers
tr

Translator English - Turkish

bulmaca
70 millions of speakers
it

Translator English - Italian

puzzle
65 millions of speakers
pl

Translator English - Polish

łamigłówka
50 millions of speakers
uk

Translator English - Ukrainian

головоломка
40 millions of speakers
ro

Translator English - Romanian

enigmă
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

γρίφος
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

legkaart
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

pussel
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

puslespill
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of puzzle

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «PUZZLE»

Principal search tendencies and common uses of puzzle
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «puzzle».

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about puzzle

EXAMPLES

10 QUOTES WITH «PUZZLE»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word puzzle.
1
Adam Baldwin
I just consider myself a piece of the puzzle and I'm lucky enough to be asked or invited to the party, if you will. I hope I can bring some laughs and grimaces to the fans.
2
Joko Beck
We are caught in the contradiction of finding life a rather perplexing puzzle which causes us a lot of misery, and at the same time being dimly aware of the boundless, limitless nature of life. So we begin looking for an answer to the puzzle.
3
Michael Behe
Throughout history there have been many other examples, similar to that of Haeckel, Huxley and the cell, where a key piece of a particular scientific puzzle was beyond the understanding of the age.
4
Adrian Belew
My favorite puzzle is trying to work out the parts myself, after all it is a solo effort.
5
Tobin Bell
'Saw' is like a big jigsaw puzzle. When you put a jigsaw puzzle together, you put the bottom left corner together first, and then you find yourself working on the upper right corner... That's the way 'Saw' plays out.
6
Carole Bouquet
It's like a jigsaw, there's a piece of the puzzle at the beginning and it's the only one and of course it had a lot to do with the way you look. And then you have to have the time to add pieces of the jigsaw.
7
Brandon Boyd
Music is a lot more like solving an intricate puzzle with moments of pure, random creative bliss... whereas painting is much more purely random creative bliss with moments of problem solving.
8
Carol Burnett
I do the 'New York Times' crossword puzzle every morning to keep the old grey matter ticking.
9
A. S. Byatt
Why do we take pleasure in gruesome death, neatly packaged as a puzzle to which we may find a satisfactory solution through clues - or if we are not clever enough, have it revealed by the all-powerful tale-teller at the end of the book? It is something to do with being reduced to, and comforted by, playing by the rules.
10
Brandi Carlile
Writing is sort of putting a puzzle together halfway. Then, performing it has always been the completion of it. Once that happens, I'm feeling verbally communal with other people. It's out there and I feel so much better about it.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «PUZZLE»

Discover the use of puzzle in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to puzzle and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
The Brainiest Insaniest Ultimate Puzzle Book!: 250 Wacky ...
The book is a bonanza of mazes, word games, visual and logic puzzles, and more. UNIDENTIFIED FLYING RIDDLES AND THE QUESTS OF SIR GLANCE-A-LOT The Hole Story. Rhyme Wave. Jokers Wild. Bat Attitude.
Mike Shenk, Robert Leighton, Amy Goldstein, 2006
2
USA TODAY Jumbo Puzzle Book 2: 400 Brain Games for Every Day
Bigger is definitely better in the case of the second oversized puzzle book from the world's top newspaper. The USA TODAY Jumbo Puzzle Book 2 is a collection of brain games including 400 puzzles that will amuse and entertain.
USA Today, 2009
3
Maze: A Riddle In Words and Pictures
This is not really a book. This is a building in the shape of a book...a maze. Each numbered page depicts a room in the maze. Tempted? Test your wits against mine.
Christopher Manson, 1985
4
Simon and Schuster Super Crossword Puzzle Book #12: The ...
The ultimate challenge for the truly fearless crossword aficionado, this puzzle book presents 225 crosswords selected from Simon & Schuster's prestigious crossword puzzle series.
Eugene T. Maleska, John M. Samson, 2004
5
Puzzle Boxes: Fun and Intriguing Band Saw Projects
Jeff calls these flaws "opportunities" to become creative. Read along as Jeff shows you how to set up your band saw and how to cut, glue up, sand, fit and finish these amazing puzzle boxes.
Jeff Vollmer, 2012
6
A to Z Mysteries: The Panda Puzzle
Each book includes a map and a letter from the author. Parents, teachers, and librarians agree that these highly collectible chapter books are perfect for emerging readers and any kid who love mysteries! From the Trade Paperback edition.
Ron Roy, 2009
7
Monkey Puzzle
A butterfly helps a lost monkey find his mother.
Julia Donaldson, 2000
8
The Warlord's Puzzle
Hoping to avoid punishment for breaking a beautiful tile that was his gift to a Chinese warlord, an artist suggests that the warlord hold a contest to see if anyone can mend it.
Virginia Walton Pilegard, 2007
9
A Puzzle for Logan Level 3
Modern, original fiction for learners of English.
Richard MacAndrew, 2001
10
The puzzle palace: a report on America's most secret agency
Describes and assesses the activities of the National Security Agency, the nation's most secret government agency--established in secrecy, many times larger than the CIA, and in control of a huge budget and a vast technology
James Bamford, 1983

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «PUZZLE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term puzzle is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Watch Rubik's Cube Champion Solve Puzzle in Less Than 6 Seconds
Well, an Australian teen Feliks Zemdegs won the world title for the puzzle game in 5.695 seconds, according to the BBC. Watch Alex Trebek Sing Rihanna's ... «ABC News, Jul 15»
2
Relieve The Duties Of A Letter: Make Believe, And Make It Better
On-air challenge: Today's puzzle has a bit of wordplay. Change one letter in each word provided to make two new words. The letter you change must be in the ... «NPR, Jul 15»
3
A Puzzle With A Northern Focus, Eh?
On-air challenge: Today's puzzle involves wordplay on some well-known Canadian place names. Example: The name of which Canadian province is an ... «NPR, Jul 15»
4
Man hides proposal in crossword puzzle
A crossword-loving British lawyer hid a marriage proposal in The Times newspaper's daily puzzle. Matthew Dick thought of the cryptic way of popping the ... «New York Post, Jun 15»
5
Here's the first look at Unravel, EA's new puzzle-platformer about an …
Unravel, the new puzzle-platformer from Electronic Arts, looks adorable. Announced during the publishers E3 2015 event, the game features a precious little ... «The Verge, Jun 15»
6
First, Do This Puzzle
On-air challenge: Because tomorrow is June 1st, today's game is one of categories, based on the word "first." For each category, name something in it starting ... «NPR, May 15»
7
Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition …
May 19, 2015 Because of its name, I've seen people mistake Puzzle & Dragons for a match-three game in the style of Candy Crush, but that's not totally accurate ... «IGN, May 15»
8
Puzzle & Dragons Z's Freedom Bores Me
After years of dealing with the stamina restrictions and constant rotation of powerful paid content in the mobile version of Puzzle & Dragons, the pay once, play ... «Kotaku, May 15»
9
For This Puzzle, Watch Your Words
Listeners who submit correct answers win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: Include a phone number where we can reach you Thursday at 3 p.m. ... «NPR, Mar 15»
10
Say Yes To The Puzzle
On-air challenge: "Yes" is supposed to be the most pleasing word in the English language. And if that's true, today's puzzle will be very pleasing indeed. «NPR, Mar 15»
REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Puzzle [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/puzzle>. May 2024 ».
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