English Dictionary
Definition of “mystify”
mystify (ˈmɪstɪˌfaɪ
)
Definitions
verb
(tr) - to confuse, bewilder, or puzzle
- to make mysterious or obscure
Alternative Forms
ˌmystifiˈcation noun ˈmystiˌfier noun ˈmystiˌfying adjective ˈmystiˌfyingly adverb Word Origin
C19: from French mystifier, from mystère mysteryC19: from French from 1 or or mystiquemystic
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
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puzzle,
confuse,
baffle,
bewilder,
beat,
escape,
stump,
elude,
confound,
perplex,
bamboozle,
flummox,
be all Greek to
nonplus,
befog,
Usage examples
She can also entertain big fat sweating lies, usually told either to mystify people or to make her look good.
Hilary Mantel, LEARNING TO TALK: Short stories (2003)In international relations, trusteeship attempts to mystify the power relations at work by cloaking them in a pseudo-legal form.
Spiked (2005)Billy Simpson: Society is doing its best to mystify senior citizens By Billy Simpson featureseditor@belfasttelegraph.
Belfast Telegraph (2003)For the most part our feelings would perpetually mystify us unless we could find a `face-saving" way of explaining them.
Knowles, Jane, Know Your Own Mind (1991)
