mystify


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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.
[1805–15; < French mystifier=myst(ique) mystic or myst(ère) mystery1 + -ifier -ify]
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
Present
I mystify
you mystify
he/she/it mystifies
we mystify
you mystify
they mystify
Preterite
I mystified
you mystified
he/she/it mystified
we mystified
you mystified
they mystified
Present Continuous
I am mystifying
you are mystifying
he/she/it is mystifying
we are mystifying
you are mystifying
they are mystifying
Present Perfect
I have mystified
you have mystified
he/she/it has mystified
we have mystified
you have mystified
they have mystified
Past Continuous
I was mystifying
you were mystifying
he/she/it was mystifying
we were mystifying
you were mystifying
they were mystifying
Past Perfect
I had mystified
you had mystified
he/she/it had mystified
we had mystified
you had mystified
they had mystified
Future
I will mystify
you will mystify
he/she/it will mystify
we will mystify
you will mystify
they will mystify
Future Perfect
I will have mystified
you will have mystified
he/she/it will have mystified
we will have mystified
you will have mystified
they will have mystified
Future Continuous
I will be mystifying
you will be mystifying
he/she/it will be mystifying
we will be mystifying
you will be mystifying
they will be mystifying
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been mystifying
you have been mystifying
he/she/it has been mystifying
we have been mystifying
you have been mystifying
they have been mystifying
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been mystifying
you will have been mystifying
he/she/it will have been mystifying
we will have been mystifying
you will have been mystifying
they will have been mystifying
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been mystifying
you had been mystifying
he/she/it had been mystifying
we had been mystifying
you had been mystifying
they had been mystifying
Conditional
I would mystify
you would mystify
he/she/it would mystify
we would mystify
you would mystify
they would mystify
Past Conditional
I would have mystified
you would have mystified
he/she/it would have mystified
we would have mystified
you would have mystified
they would have mystified
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Verb1.mystify - be a mystery or bewildering tomystify - 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"
stump, mix up - cause to be perplexed or confounded; "This problem stumped her"
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"
elude, escape - be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by; "What you are seeing in him eludes me"
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

verb
To cause to be unclear in mind or intent:
Informal: throw.
Idiom: make one's head reel.
The 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

mystify

[ˈmɪstɪfaɪ] VTdejar perplejo, desconcertar
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

mystify

[ˈmɪstɪfaɪ] vt (= puzzle) → rendre perplexe
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

mystify

vtvor ein Rätsel stellen; his explanation mystified us allseine Erklärung blieb uns allen ein Rätsel; the conjurer’s tricks mystified the audiencedie 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

mystify

[ˈmɪstɪˌfaɪ] vt (bewilder) → lasciare perplesso/a, disorientare
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.
References in classic literature ?
The humblest wayside juggler in India could mystify them to the verge of lunacy."
It had not yet been discovered, and, in order to still further delay search and mystify the jed's people, we carried the body with us for a short distance, hiding it in a tiny cell off the main corridor of the pits beneath an adjoining estate.
Don't attempt to mystify me on the next occasion, and I will promise, on my side, not to mystify you.
He must be able to mystify his officers and men by false reports and appearances, and thus keep them in total ignorance.
that is it," said D'Artagnan, hoping that this reason would mystify Porthos.