baffle

[baf-uhl]

verb (used with object)

baffled, baffling 

1. to confuse, bewilder, or perplex.

   He was baffled by the technical language of the instructions.

2. to frustrate or confound; thwart by creating confusion or bewilderment.

3. to check or deflect the movement of (sound, light, fluids, etc.).

4. to equip with a baffle or baffles.

5. Obsolete.,  to cheat; trick.

verb (used without object)

baffled, baffling 

1. to struggle ineffectually, as a ship in a gale.

noun

1. something that balks, checks, or deflects.

2. an artificial obstruction for checking or deflecting the flow of gases (as in a boiler), sounds (as in the loudspeaker system of a radio or hi-fi set), light (as in a darkroom), etc.

3. any boxlike enclosure or flat panel for mounting a loudspeaker.

baffle

/ ˈbæfəl /

verb

1. to perplex; bewilder; puzzle

2. to frustrate (plans, efforts, etc)

3. to check, restrain, or regulate (the flow of a fluid or the emission of sound or light)

4. to provide with a baffle

5. obsolete,  to cheat or trick

noun

1. Also called: baffle board.  baffle plate. a plate or mechanical device designed to restrain or regulate the flow of a fluid, the emission of light or sound, or the distribution of sound, esp in a loudspeaker or microphone

Other Word Forms

• bafflement noun
• baffler noun
• baffling adjective
• bafflingly adverb
• bafflingness noun
• unbaffling adjective
• unbafflingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of baffle¹

First recorded in 1540–50; 1910–15 baffle for def. 8; perhaps from Scots bauchle “to disgrace, treat with contempt,” equivalent to bauch ( baff ) + -le

Word History and Origins

Origin of baffle¹

C16: perhaps from Scottish dialect bachlen to condemn publicly; perhaps related to French bafouer to disgrace

Synonym Study

See thwart.

Example Sentences

People in a Welsh village were left baffled after St George's Crosses, the symbol of England's patron saint and the country's flag, appeared around the area.

From BBC

Nothing about USC’s first tour through Big Ten country had gone smoothly, as the Trojans bafflingly blew fourth-quarter leads in all four of their conference road tilts.

From Los Angeles Times

“It baffles all of us as animal lovers. Who could do this?”

From Los Angeles Times

The fans get into it, he says, although when he talks to them about it, he sometimes finds their reactions “baffling.”

From Los Angeles Times

The names on the winners' list baffled social media users as they are uncommon in the country.

From BBC

Related Words

• amaze 
• astound 
• befuddle 
• bewilder 
• confound 
• confuse 
• daze 
• disconcert 
• dumbfound 
• elude 
• embarrass 
• faze 
• mystify 
• nonplus 
• puzzle 
• stump 
• stun 

When To Use

What does baffle mean?

Baffle means to confuse, bewilder, perplex, or confound.The word usually implies that such confusion causes someone to come to standstill—that it stumps them or makes them completely bewildered.You might be baffled by a difficult riddle or confusing instructions. People’s strange behavior might baffle you. The term is often used in the context of experts or scientists being baffled by some newly discovered thing or phenomenon—one they can’t figure out or comprehend.Someone or something that baffles can be described as baffling.As a verb, baffle can also mean to deflect or regulate the movement or flow of something, such as gas or light. The word can also be used as a noun referring to a component or part that does this.Example: This door is completely baffling! I can never figure out how to get it unlocked.