mystification

[mis-tuh-fi-key-shuhn]

noun

1. an act or instance of purposely causing someone to be perplexed or bewildered by playing on their ignorance, gullibility, or naiveté.

   As a mask for banality or an agent of mystification, the word “dialectical” is really quite wonderful.

   The author put titles at the top of certain pages—in a spirit of mystification, I suppose, since they do not illuminate the reader.

2. an act or instance of making something mysterious or obscure.

   Rejecting any effort to understand Hitler or the Holocaust can lead to a mystification of the past that thwarts all efforts to learn from it.

3. the state of being perplexed or puzzled.

   I felt pretty silly when, after a week of mystification, my techie friend explained how the remote worked.

Other Word Forms

• overmystification noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mystification¹

First recorded in 1810–20; from French mysti(fier) ( mystify ( def. ) ) + -fication ( def. )

Example Sentences

Vitali’s grown children speak with a mix of understanding and mystification at how completely their father devoted himself to another person, sometimes at the expense of being fully present in their lives.

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And we made the decision to keep a bit of mystification around how the instruments work, because we prefer to look at them as a vessel of love.

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The lesson is refreshingly practical: There is no need to appeal to misty mystifications to account for a trend that is easily explained by economic hardship and social isolation.

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“Its fascination with Brandon becomes a kind of credulity, a willingness to accept uncritically the mystifications of a proven liar,” he wrote.

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Telling Mom to take a hike is “so tough”; I don’t share your mystification.

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