bumfuzzle

American  

[buhm-fuhz-uhl] / bʌmˈfʌz əl /

verb (used with object)

Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S.

bumfuzzled, bumfuzzling

1. to confuse or fluster.

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Usage

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!

Etymology

Origin of bumfuzzle

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.

From Washington Post

These are classic signs of a mentally bumfuzzled team.”

From New York Times