noun
confusedly; in perplexity
Describes a state of being flustered or bewildered, often used in the phrase ほうほうの体 (ほうほうのてい) meaning 'in a fluster' or 'in a confused state'. Rare standalone noun use; mostly encountered in this fixed expression.
彼はほうほうの体で逃げ出した。
He fled in a fluster.
ほうほうの体で家に帰った。
I went home in a confused state.
あたふた is a more common mimetic adverb for flustered, hurried action, while ほうほう is rarer and often appears in the set phrase ほうほうの体.
The origin is uncertain; the kanji 這 means 'crawl', but the connection to the meaning 'confusedly' is unclear. The word is likely a reduplicative mimetic expression.