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

Speaking of which, these earbuds perform decently but aren’t going to boggle the mind.

From The Verge • Sep. 16, 2021

Now regularly we see the authorities engaging in sting operations or otherwise rolling up people who are accused of engaging in levels of depravity that boggle the mind.

From Washington Times • Nov. 16, 2020

It threatens to play out on a time scale that should boggle the mind.

From Salon • Jan. 9, 2019

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