baffle

[ baf-uh l ]
/ ˈbæf əl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR baffle ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), baf·fled, baf·fling.

verb (used without object), baf·fled, baf·fling.

to struggle ineffectually, as a ship in a gale.

noun

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Here is our second set of teacher-selected PSAT vocabulary words. Do you know the meanings of these terms?
Question 1 of 10
advocate
to give up possession or occupancy of.
to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly.
to pronounce or decree by judicial sentence.
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Origin of baffle

1540–50; 1910–15 for def 8; perhaps < Scots bauchle to disgrace, treat with contempt, equivalent to bauch (see baff) + -le

OTHER WORDS FROM baffle

Words nearby baffle

baff, baffies, baffin, baffin bay, baffin island, baffle, bafflegab, baffleplate, baffling, baffy, bafta
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to baffled

mystify, elude, stump, dumbfound, bewilder, faze, befuddle, puzzle, confuse, astound, confound, amaze, daze, embarrass, stun, nonplus, disconcert, disappoint, upset, frustrate

Example sentences from the Web for baffled

British Dictionary definitions for baffled

baffle
/ (ˈbæfəl) /

verb (tr)

to perplex; bewilder; puzzle
to frustrate (plans, efforts, etc)
to check, restrain, or regulate (the flow of a fluid or the emission of sound or light)
to provide with a baffle
obsolete to cheat or trick

noun

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

Derived forms of baffle

bafflement, nounbaffler, noun

Word Origin for baffle

C16: perhaps from Scottish dialect bachlen to condemn publicly; perhaps related to French bafouer to disgrace
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012