Baffled
/ˈbæf(ə)ld/
adjectiveBeginnerCommonGeneral
Meaning
Questions
Definitions
1
Completely unable to understand or explain something.
/ˈbæf(ə)ld/
adjectivenegativeBeginner
General
Confused and perplexed
The complex puzzle baffled him.
💡 Simply: Very confused.
More Examples
2
She was completely baffled by his sudden change of heart.
How It's Used
General
"I was completely baffled by the instructions."
Detective Fiction
"The detective was baffled by the lack of clues."
From Middle English *baffelen, of uncertain origin, possibly related to Old French *baffier "to deceive, cheat". The sense of being confused or perplexed developed later.
While the word's core meaning has remained consistent, its usage in various contexts like detective fiction has become more prominent over time.
Memory tip
Imagine a ball (baffle) bouncing around in your head, representing your confused thoughts.
Practice
Base: baffle
bafeldbafflled
Usage
40%Spoken
60%Written