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.

Nearby words

mysticity, mysticize, mysticly, mystification, mystified, 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

SYNONYMS FOR mystify

1 fool, mislead, elude, puzzle.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mystify ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for mystified

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
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
I mean we are all mystified by how the Gestapo, and the guards in the concentration camps, could be so cruel.
Rediscovering Richard Dawkins: An Interview|J.P. O’Malley|September 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But in a world where people are interested in the Kardashians, why should we be mystified by the fascination with Pippa?
Laugh All You Like at Her Dumb Party Tips, but Pippa Has the Midas Touch|Tom Sykes|August 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST

"I am absolutely convinced this was an accident so I'm mystified," he told ITV news this weekend.
Was Princess Diana Murdered by the British Military?|Nico Hines|August 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
She amused and mystified him and she volunteered after lunch to show him all the sights of Wellington.
Molly Brown's Senior Days|Nell Speed
But what mystified us completely was the fact that we could not find a mark to show where the last bullet had hit him.
The Red Cow and Her Friends|Peter McArthur
The calm, resolute tones of the stranger have their weight with the mystified Ray.
The Diamond Coterie|Lawrence L. Lynch
"I have concentrated," he moaned, mystified beyond endurance.
The Helpmate|May Sinclair
So Buck, obliging but mystified, dropped back upon the bed and proceeded, tooth-pick energetically at work.
Queed|Henry Sydnor Harrison

British Dictionary definitions for mystified

mystify

/ (ˈmɪstɪˌfaɪ) /

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

to confuse, bewilder, or puzzle

to make mysterious or obscure

Derived Formsmystification, 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

Word Origin and History for mystified (1 of 2)

mystified

adj.

"bewildered, puzzled," 1863, past participle adjective from mystify.

Word Origin and History for mystified (1 of 2)

mystify

1814, from French mystifier (1772), a verb formed irregularly from mystique "a mystic" (see mystic (adj.)) + -fier (see -fy). Related: Mystified; mystifying.

mystify

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

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Origin of mystify

Examples from the Web for mystified

British Dictionary definitions for mystified

mystify

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

Word Origin for mystify

Word Origin and History for mystified (1 of 2)

mystified

Word Origin and History for mystified (1 of 2)

mystify