baffle

[baf-uh l]

See more synonyms for baffle on Thesaurus.com

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

to confuse, bewilder, or perplex: He was baffled by the technical language of the instructions.
to frustrate or confound; thwart by creating confusion or bewilderment.
to check or deflect the movement of (sound, light, fluids, etc.).

to equip with a baffle or baffles.
Obsolete. to cheat; trick.

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

to struggle ineffectually, as a ship in a gale.

noun

something that balks, checks, or deflects.
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.
any boxlike enclosure or flat panel for mounting a loudspeaker.

Origin of baffle

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

Related formsbaf·fle·ment, nounbaf·fler, nounbaf·fling, adjectivebaf·fling·ly, adverbbaf·fling·ness, nounun·baf·fled, adjectiveun·baf·fling, adjectiveun·baf·fling·ly, adverb

Synonyms for baffle

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1. See thwart.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for baffled

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

Examples from the Web for baffled

Contemporary Examples of baffled

Servis, a general contractor, was baffled by how introverted Stone acted.
Hunt for Iraq Vet After Killing Spree
M.L. Nestel
December 16, 2014
Still other critics are baffled that Borges was influenced by such strange and disparate sources.
Borges Had A Genius For Literature But Not Love Or Much Else
Allen Barra
October 24, 2014
Martin Amis is not baffled by the modern world; he observes it with precision.
Martin Amis Talks About Nazis, Novels, and Cute Babies
Ronald K. Fried
October 9, 2014
Baffled by the jargon-heavy consumer information manual, I chatted with Cheryl Luptowski from the NSF consumer affairs office.
Are Water Filters B.S.?
Michael Schulson
August 19, 2014
Putin said in late April that he was baffled that the Americans were targeting the Russian oligarchs.
Exclusive: Putin Imposes Secret Sanctions on Pro-Gay Obama Campaign Donors
Josh Rogin
May 2, 2014

Historical Examples of baffled

If the nation was determined it would not be baffled by the Peers.
The Grand Old Man
Richard B. Cook
Tories and Peers especially were enraged, and regarded themselves as baffled.
The Grand Old Man
Richard B. Cook
It had seemed to baffle the others; it baffled the big man now.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
She leaned back in her chair, and surveyed the baffled man amusedly.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
Bartlett sat there for one moment the picture of baffled rage.
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr

British Dictionary definitions for baffled

baffle

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 Formsbafflement, 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

Word Origin and History for baffled

baffle

1540s, "to disgrace," perhaps a Scottish respelling of bauchle "to disgrace publicly" (especially a perjured knight), which is probably related to French bafouer "to abuse, hoodwink" (16c.), possibly from baf, a natural sound of disgust, like bah (cf. German baff machen "to flabbergast"). Meaning "to bewilder, confuse" is from 1640s; that of "to defeat someone's efforts" is from 1670s. Related: Baffled; baffling.

baffle

"shielding device," 1881, from baffle (v.).