definitions

mystify

[ mis-tuh-fahy ]
/ ˈmɪs təˌfaɪ /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mystify ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), mys·ti·fied, mys·ti·fy·ing.

to perplex (a person) by playing upon the person's credulity; bewilder purposely.
to involve in mystery or obscurity.

RELATED WORDS

puzzlement, stupor, trance, shock, glaze, bewilderment, muddle, befuddlement, haze, fog, stupefaction, perplexity, maze, discombobulation, distraction, narcosis, gauze

Nearby words

mystical, mystical theology, mysticete, mysticism, mysticize, mystify, mystique, mysuru, mytacism, myth, myth.

Origin of mystify

1805–15; < French mystifier, equivalent to mysti- (irregular combining form of mystique mystic or mystère mystery1) + -fier -fy

Related forms

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for mystification

British Dictionary definitions for mystification

mystify

/ (ˈmɪstɪˌfaɪ) /

verb -fies, -fying or -fied (tr)

to confuse, bewilder, or puzzle
to make mysterious or obscure

Derived Forms

mystification, nounmystifier, nounmystifying, adjectivemystifyingly, adverb

Word Origin for mystify

C19: from French mystifier, from mystère mystery 1 or mystique mystic
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