flummox

F4L1U1M3M3O1X8
/ˈflʌməks/

verb

To confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast.

Similar
perplexvexstickgetpuzzlemystifybafflebeat
Scrabble 21
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbflummox (third-person singular simple present flummoxes, present participle flummoxing, simple past and past participle flummoxed)

present singular third person flummoxes · participle present flummoxing · participle past flummoxed · past flummoxed

  1. transitiveTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast.

    With United's movement flummoxing the visitors, Berbatov saw his low shot saved well by Ben Foster on his first return to Old Trafford.

    2011 January 22, “Man Utd 5 - 0 Birmingham”, in BBC
  2. intransitiveuncommonTo give in, to give up, to collapse.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbbe a mystery or bewildering to

Similar
perplexvexstickgetpuzzlemystifybafflebeatposebewilderstupefynonplusgravelamazedumbfound
Broader
confusethrowfox
Also see
amazebafflebeatbewilderconfusedumbfoundgetgravelknotmystifynonplusperplexposepuzzlestickstupefytake the wind out of someone's sailsvex

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Uncertain, probably risen out of a British dialect (OED finds candidate words in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, southern Cheshire, and Sheffield). The formation seems to be onomatopœic, expressive of the notion of throwing down roughly and untidily. [OED]. First use appears c. 1837 in the writings of Charles Dickens.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch verwarren
  • verwarrenTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
Finnish sekoittaa
  • sekoittaaTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
French troubler, embrouiller
  • troublerTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
  • embrouillerTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
German verwirren, verblüffen
  • verwirrenTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
  • verblüffenTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
Italian scoraggiare, remare contro
  • scoraggiareTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
  • remare controTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
  • disilludereTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
  • disincantareTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
Māori pōrahu
  • pōrahuTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
Russian смуща́ть, приводить в замешательство
  • смуща́ть (smuščátʹ)To confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
  • приводить в замешательствоTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
Spanish desconcertar, trastrocar
  • desconcertarTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
  • trastrocarTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
  • trastocarTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
  • aturdirTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
  • trastornarTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
  • barahustarTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast
  • barajustarTo confuse; to fluster; to flabbergast

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with flummox

lummox
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

flummox. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flummox

MLA

“flummox.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flummox. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “flummox,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flummox.

Source: flummox on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.