mystify

M3Y4S1T1I1F4Y4
/ˈmɪstɪfaɪ/

verb

To thoroughly confuse, befuddle, or bewilder.

“Solar eclipses continued to mystify ancient humans for thousands of years.”

Similar
perplexvexstickgetpuzzlebafflebeatpose
Opposite
demystify
OriginFrench mystifier ← Ancient Greek μυστικός ← Latin -ficare →
UncommonScrabble 18
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Meanings

verbmystify (third-person singular simple present mystifies, present participle mystifying, simple past and past participle mystified)

present singular third person mystifies · participle present mystifying · participle past mystified · past mystified

  1. transitiveTo thoroughly confuse, befuddle, or bewilder.

    Solar eclipses continued to mystify ancient humans for thousands of years.

    1 more example

    I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […], and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town. I was completely mystified at such an unusual proceeding.

    1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC

Synonyms & antonyms

verbbe a mystery or bewildering to

Similar
perplexvexstickgetpuzzlebafflebeatposebewilderflummoxstupefynonplusgravelamazedumbfound
Broader
confusethrowfox

verbmake mysterious

Opposite
demystify
Broader
obscureblot outobliterate
Also see
amazebafflebeatbewilderdumbfoundflummoxgetgravelnonplusperplexposepuzzlestickstupefyvex

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latin-ficare
  2. Ancient Greekμυστικός“secret, mystic”
  3. Frenchmystifier
  4. Englishmystify

From French mystifier, from Ancient Greek μυστικός (mustikós, “secret, mystic”) + Latin -ficare.

More words from French, Ancient Greek, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian озадачавам, смущавам
  • озадачавам (ozadačavam)to thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
  • смущавам (smuštavam)to thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
German verblüffen, irritieren
  • verblüffento thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
  • irritierento thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
Polish zakłopotać, zadziwiać
  • zakłopotaćto thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
  • zadziwiaćto thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
  • zadziwićto thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
Russian мистифици́ровать
  • мистифици́ровать (mistificírovatʹ)to thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
Swedish mystifiera, förbrylla
  • mystifierato thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
  • förbryllato thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
Turkish afallatmak
  • afallatmakto thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
Cite this entry
APA

mystify. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mystify

MLA

“mystify.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mystify. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mystify,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mystify.

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