boggle the mind

Idioms

Bewilder or astonish with complexity, novelty, or the like, as in The very magnitude of the Milky Way boggles the mind. The source of this usage is unclear, as the verb to boggle has several other seemingly unrelated meanings—to shy away, to hesitate, to bungle. [Second half of 1900s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But Santos’ wardrobe, and his ability to ape an archetype, is a testament to just how much appearance can boggle the mind.

From Slate • May 16, 2023

It might boggle the mind, but I wonder if Beyoncé's approach to women's empowerment shows that even Black women can have white feminist leanings.

From Salon • Aug. 22, 2021

As usual when tech companies announce platform-scale statistics, the numbers involved can boggle the mind.

From The Verge • Sep. 4, 2019

It is complex and the sums of money are so large - and pose such a staggering burden to taxpayers - that they boggle the mind.

From Washington Times • Aug. 22, 2018

Their number, and the many subjects they cover, nearly boggle the mind.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2016

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023