mind-boggling
Americanadjective
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intellectually overwhelming.
a mind-boggling puzzle.
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emotionally or psychologically overwhelming; mind-blowing.
adjective
Usage
What does mind-boggling mean? Mind-boggling means utterly overwhelming to the mind or extremely difficult to understand or comprehend. The verb boggle means to overwhelm or bewilder, such as with complexity or abnormality. Things are often described as mind-boggling when they’re incredibly complex or exist on a scale that’s impossible to comprehend or “wrap your head around.”A similar term is mind-blowing. Mind-blowing is usually used to describe things that are impressive, whereas mind-boggling usually describes things that are confusing or hard to even think about. Still, the terms are often used interchangeably. The related verb phrase boggle the mind means to astound or be incomprehensible, as in His behavior really boggles the mind sometimes—I can’t begin to understand his motivation for doing the things he does. Example: The size and scale of the universe is mind-boggling—it’s impossible to grasp its magnitude.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mind-boggling
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.
"I find the prices now mind-boggling," he added.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Unlike Alice, Bryan is the audience stand-in: the average guy who responds to a mind-boggling, impossible situation as clumsily as you or I might.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
Rams coach Sean McVay said reversing the college football-to-NFL pipeline was mind-boggling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
If Elon Musk helped pay down the debt by sacrificing the entirety of his nearly $1 trillion net worth—itself a mind-boggling sum—it would barely make a dent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
As you type, Enigma encrypts your message—and the number of ways it can do this is mind-boggling.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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.
