Flummoxed
Etymology
Of obscure origin, appearing in English around the 1830s and likely rooted in a regional dialect word. Its uncertain, homely sound suits its meaning; even the etymologists are, fittingly, a little flummoxed by it.
adjective · /FLUM-uksd/
Thoroughly bewildered and confused.
What it names
Confusion that stalls you — a state of being unable to make sense of things — with a comic, informal color.
Example
The instructions were so badly translated that he stood flummoxed, holding a screw with no idea where it went.
Related idea
To be flummoxed is to be confused and unable to understand; to be flabbergasted is to be astonished and shocked — you can be flummoxed by a dull puzzle without any shock, and flabbergasted by news you grasp instantly.
See also