different between puzzle vs abash

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).

Pronunciation

• enPR: p?z??l, IPA^(key): /?p?z?l/
• Rhymes: -?z?l

Noun

puzzle (plural puzzles)

1. Anything that is difficult to understand or make sense of.

   Where he went after he left the house is a puzzle.

2. A game for one or more people that is more or less difficult to work out or complete.
3. A crossword puzzle.
4. A jigsaw puzzle.
5. A riddle.
6. (archaic) Something made with marvellous skill; something of ingenious construction.
7. 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

Translations

Verb

puzzle (third-person singular simple present puzzles, present participle puzzling, simple past and past participle puzzled)

1. (transitive) To perplex, confuse, or mystify; to cause (someone) to be faced with a mystery, without answers or an explanation.
   • 1688, Henry More, Divine Dialogues

     A very shrewd disputant in those points is dexterous in puzzling others, if they be not thoroughpaced speculators in those great theories.

   • He is perpetually puzzled and perplexed amidst his own blunders.
2. (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.

3. (transitive) To make intricate; to entangle.

   • The ways of Heav'n are dark and intricate, / Puzzled in mazes, and perplex'd with error.

   • They disentangle from the puzzled skein.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:confuse

Derived terms

Translations

Related terms

• puzzlement

References

Anagrams

• puzzel

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from English puzzle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?pazl?]
• (nonstandard, hyperforeign) IPA^(key): [?put?sl?]

Noun

puzzle m

1. jigsaw puzzle

Usage notes

Also used as an indeclinable noun of various genders, most often neuter.

Although the standard pronunciation of this word, which has been borrowed from English, is /?pazl?/, another common informal pronunciation is /?put?sle/, which is a hyperforeignism, trying to apply either Italian (as in pizza) or more probably German pronunciation rules. However, both Italian and German pronunciation of the word puzzle is different.

Declension

References

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English puzzle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pœ.zœl/, /pœzl/

Noun

puzzle m (plural puzzles)

1. jigsaw puzzle

Further reading

• “puzzle” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English puzzle.

Noun

puzzle m (invariable)

1. jigsaw puzzle
2. (by extension) A difficult problem

Polish

Etymology

From English puzzle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?puz.l?/
• IPA^(key): /?put?s.l?/ (nonstandard)

Noun

puzzle m inan

1. jigsaw puzzle

Declension

Derived terms

• (noun) puzzel

Further reading

• puzzle in Wielki s?ownik j?zyka polskiego, Instytut J?zyka Polskiego PAN
• puzzle in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Spanish

Alternative forms

• puzle

Etymology

Borrowed from English puzzle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /?pu?le/, [?pu?.le]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America) /?pusle/, [?pus.le]

Noun

puzzle m (plural puzzles)

1. jigsaw puzzle

English

Alternative forms

• abasse

Etymology

First attested in 1303. From Middle English abaisen, abaishen, abashen (“to gape with surprise”) etc., from Anglo-Norman abaïss, from Middle French abair, abaisser (“to astonish, alter”), from Old French esbaïr, (French ébahir), from es- (“utterly”) + baïr (“to astonish”), from Medieval Latin *exbad?, from ex- (“out of”) + bado (“I gape, yawn”), an onomatopoeic word imitating a yawn, see also French badaud (“rubbernecker”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??bæ?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??bæ?/

• Rhymes: -æ?

Verb

abash (third-person singular simple present abashes, present participle abashing, simple past and past participle abashed)

1. (transitive) To make ashamed; to embarrass; to destroy the self-possession of, as by exciting suddenly a consciousness of guilt, mistake, or inferiority; to disconcert; to discomfit. [First attested from around (1150 to 1350).]

   Synonyms: bewilder, confuse, confound, daunt, discompose, disconcert, discountenance, dishearten, embarrass, faze, fluster, humble, humiliate, mortify, rattle, shake, shame, snub

   Antonyms: abet, animate, buoy, cheer, countenance, embolden, encourage, incite, inspirit, rally, reassure, uphold

   • 1849, Thomas Macaulay, History of England, Chapter 14

     He was a man whom no check could abash
2. (intransitive, obsolete) To lose self-possession; to become ashamed. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 16^th century.]

Usage notes

• Of abash, confuse, confound: Abash is a stronger word than confuse, but not so strong as confound.
  • We are abashed when struck either with sudden shame or with a humbling sense of inferiority; as, Peter was abashed by the look of his Master. So a modest youth is abashed in the presence of those who are greatly his superiors.
  • We are confused when, from some unexpected or startling occurrence, we lose clearness of thought and self-possession. Thus, a witness is often confused by a severe cross-examination; a timid person is apt to be confused in entering a room full of strangers.
  • We are confounded when our minds are overwhelmed, as it were, by something wholly unexpected, amazing, dreadful, etc., so that we have nothing to say. Thus, a criminal is usually confounded at the discovery of his guilt.

  • Satan stood Awhile as mute, confounded what to say. – John Milton

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:abash

Derived terms

Translations

References

Anagrams

• Basha, Sabah, basha, sabha