puzzle
noun uk/ˈpʌz.əl/ us/ˈpʌz.əl/
C2 [ S ]令人费解的情况;难题;谜
a situation that is difficult to understand
Scientists have been trying to solve this puzzle for years. 多年来科学家们一直试图解开这个谜。
A2 [ C ]测验智力的游戏（或玩具）
a game or toy in which you have to fit separate pieces together, or a problem or question that you have to answer by using your skill or knowledge
a jigsaw puzzle 智力拼图玩具
a crossword puzzle 纵横字谜
a puzzle book 谜语书
- More examples
- I spent hours reasoning out the solution to the puzzle.
- She had a complex personality that was a real puzzle to me.
puzzle
verb [ I + adv/prep, T ] uk/ˈpʌz.əl/ us/ˈpʌz.əl/
C1 （使）感到迷惑;（使）感到为难，（使）感到困窘
to cause someone to feel confused and slightly worried because they cannot understand something, or to think hard about something in order to understand it
The findings of the survey puzzle me - they're not at all what I would have expected. 调查的结果使我感到迷惑——它们根本不像我原本预料的那样。
[ + question word ] It puzzles me why she said that. 我想不通她为什么那么说。
Management are still puzzling about/over how the accident could have happened. 管理层仍对事故发生的原因感到迷惑不解。
- More examples
- The events of that night have been puzzling me for a long time.
- What puzzles me is why he should have left without telling me.
Phrasal verbs
puzzle something out 苦苦思索弄清楚
to discover or understand something by thinking hard about it
[ + question word ] I still can't puzzle out how I managed to spend so much money last month. 我现在仍想不明白上个月怎么花了那么多钱。
puzzle over something 为…绞尽脑汁，苦思冥想
to try to solve a problem or understand a situation by thinking carefully about it
Scientists are puzzling over the results of the research on the drug. 科学家们在仔细思考这种药的研究结果。