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Synonyms

mind-bending

American  
[mahynd-ben-ding] / ˈmaɪndˌbɛn dɪŋ /

adjective

Slang.

  1. mind-blowing.

mind-bending British  

adjective

  1. very difficult to understand; complex

  2. altering one's state of consciousness

    mind-bending drugs

  3. reaching the limit of credibility

    they offered a mind-bending salary
"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

noun

  1. the process of brainwashing

"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

Other Word Forms

  • mind-bendingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of mind-bending

First recorded in 1960–65

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.

The other guest vocalist on the track is Björk, whose mind-bending mix of experimental music and pop is one of Rosalía’s foremost inspirations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025

To understand these mind-bending systems and their countless configurations, physicists usually turn to powerful supercomputers or artificial intelligence for help.

From Science Daily • Oct. 12, 2025

With surreal films like Blue Velvet and his mind-bending TV series Twin Peaks, David Lynch often left audiences scratching their heads.

From BBC • Jul. 3, 2025

The mind-bending journey feels at once tactile and too fantastical to be real.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2025

I turn the volume up as my beloved Freddie breaks out his mind-bending falsetto.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.