mystify

[ mis-tuh-fahy ]

/ ˈmɪs təˌfaɪ /

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See synonyms for: mystify / mystified / mystifying / mystification 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.

OTHER WORDS FOR mystify

1 fool, mislead, elude, puzzle.

See synonyms for mystify on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of mystify

1805–15; <French mystifier, equivalent to mysti- (irregular combining form of mystiquemystic or mystèremystery¹) + -fier-fy

OTHER WORDS FROM mystify

mys·ti·fi·ca·tion, nounmys·ti·fied·ly, adverbmys·ti·fi·er, nounmys·ti·fy·ing·ly, adverb

o·ver·mys·ti·fi·ca·tion, nouno·ver·mys·ti·fy, verb (used with object), o·ver·mys·ti·fied, o·ver·mys·ti·fy·ing.un·mys·ti·fied, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use mystify in a sentence

I was a little mystified at how benignly he responded to my questions about his business activities.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
All were genuinely shocked and mystified when they finally learned, on Sept. 4, that I was not covered by MagnaCare.
My Insurance Company Killed Me, Despite Obamacare|Malcolm MacDougall|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Indeed, he is respectfully mystified by the almost religious devotion Morrissey inspires.
This Charming Man: Meet 'Ronnissey,' Brooklyn's Fake Morrissey|Michael Moynihan|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The usually uninformed American citizens can be forgiven for being mystified by the Mideast policy prescriptions of their leaders.
Here's How to Dig Out of This 'Stupid Sh*t' U.S. Foreign Policy|Leslie H. Gelb|August 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The whole affair meanwhile has mystified longtime Hill insiders and ethics watchdogs.
Could an Obscure Ethics Rule Endanger Republican Star Cathy McMorris Rodgers?|David Freedlander|February 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He led the way down to the ground floor, while they followed him, mystified, and into the elevator again.
The Woman Gives|Owen Johnson
Nevertheless, mystified as he was, he concealed the details of their trip under an evasive answer when he returned to his room.
The Woman Gives|Owen Johnson
Liosha, although accepting my apology, had sat mystified; also profoundly disturbed by Jaffery's unconcealed agitation.
Jaffery|William J. Locke
The men were mystified, but wine and rhetoric had fired them, and they cheered him—no one knew why.
When Valmond Came to Pontiac, Complete|Gilbert Parker
Then the attacking party, evidently disappointed and mystified, withdrew again into the forest.
Menotah|Ernest G. Henham

British Dictionary definitions for mystify

mystify

/ (ˈmɪstɪˌfaɪ) /

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

to confuse, bewilder, or puzzle

to make mysterious or obscure

Derived forms of mystify

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

mystify

OTHER WORDS FOR mystify

Origin of mystify

OTHER WORDS FROM mystify

Words related to mystify

How to use mystify in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mystify

Derived forms of mystify

Word Origin for mystify