bumfuzzle

[buhm-fuhz-uhl]

verb (used with object)

Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S.

bumfuzzled, bumfuzzling 

1. to confuse or fluster.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bumfuzzle¹

First recorded in 1900–05; origin uncertain; from bum- (as in the initial syllable of Scottish bumbaze, bombaze “to confuse” ( bamboozle ) + fuzzle “to confuse” (perhaps a blend of fuddle and fuzzy ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

“I hope that the young people won’t keep being bumfuzzled by Democrats,” said Larry Trickle, a 77-year-old who came to see the senator speak at a Holiday Inn in Council Bluffs this week.

Read more on Washington Post

These are classic signs of a mentally bumfuzzled team.”

Read more on New York Times

When To Use

What does bumfuzzle mean?

To bumfuzzle is to confuse or fluster.Bumfuzzle is most often used in the dialect of the Southern United States. It is colloquial, meaning it is typically used in informal conversation. It is very similar to bamboozle, and may be derived from it.Example: I was totally bumfuzzled by the physics homework last night—I didn’t understand any of it!