mystify
Also found in: Thesaurus, Wikipedia.
mys·ti·fy
(mĭs′tə-fī′)tr.v. mys·ti·fied, mys·ti·fy·ing, mys·ti·fies
1. To confuse or bewilder. See Synonyms at perplex.
2. To make obscure or mysterious: "What had been for ages mundane would soon become mystified in the minds of most Americans" (Ann Vileisis).
[French mystifier : mystère, mystery (from Latin mystērium; see mystery1) + -fier, -fy.]
mys′ti·fi′er n.
mys′ti·fy′ing·ly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
mystify
(ˈmɪstɪˌfaɪ)vb (tr) , -fies, -fying or -fied
1. to confuse, bewilder, or puzzle
2. to make mysterious or obscure
[C19: from French mystifier, from mystère mystery1 or mystique mystic]
ˌmystifiˈcation n
ˈmystiˌfier n
ˈmystiˌfying adj
ˈmystiˌfyingly adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
mys•ti•fy
(ˈmɪs təˌfaɪ)v.t. -fied, -fy•ing.
1. to perplex or bewilder.
2. to make mysterious or difficult to understand.
mys`ti•fi•ca′tion, n.
mys′ti•fi`er, n.
mys′ti•fy`ing•ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
mystify
- Derived from mystery or mystic.See also related terms for mystery.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
mystify
Past participle: mystified
Gerund: mystifying
Imperative |
---|
mystify |
mystify |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Verb | 1. | mystify - be a mystery or bewildering to; "This beats me!"; "Got me--I don't know the answer!"; "a vexing problem"; "This question really stuck me" bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, baffle, nonplus, perplex, puzzle, stupefy, amaze, gravel, vex, pose, stick, beat, get befuddle, confound, confuse, discombobulate, fox, bedevil, fuddle, throw - be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly; "These questions confuse even the experts"; "This question completely threw me"; "This question befuddled even the teacher" riddle - set a difficult problem or riddle; "riddle me a riddle" |
2. | mystify - make mysterious; "mystify the story" blot out, obliterate, veil, hide, obscure - make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing; "a hidden message"; "a veiled threat" demystify - make less mysterious or remove the mystery from; "let's demystify the event by explaining what it is all about" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
mystify
verb puzzle, confuse, baffle, bewilder, beat (slang), escape, stump, elude, confound, perplex, bamboozle (informal), flummox, be all Greek to (informal), nonplus, befog There was something strange in her attitude that mystified me.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
mystify
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يُرْبِك، يَجْعَل الأمر لُغْزا
uvést do nejistotyzmást
mystificere
mistificirati
homályba burkolmisztifikál
hjúpa leyndardómi/dulúî
gluminti
mulsināt
hayrete düşürmek
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
mystify
vt → vor ein Rätsel stellen; his explanation mystified us all → seine Erklärung blieb uns allen ein Rätsel; the conjurer’s tricks mystified the audience → die Kunststücke des Zauberers verblüfften das Publikum
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
mystify
(ˈmistifai) verb to be impossible (for someone) to explain or understand. I was mystified by his behaviour.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.