mystify means to thoroughly confuse, befuddle, or bewilder. It carries an Arena rating of 1542, earned across 13 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, mystify ranks #2,381 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #2,803 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #3,042 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #3,161 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
mystify is pronounced /ˈmɪstɪfaɪ/.
Why “mystify” is a great word
To deliberately induce a state of profound confusion or wonder-struck disorientation, often through obscure or seemingly magical means. From French *mystifier* (1772), from Ancient Greek μυστικός (*mustikós*, "secret, mystic") + Latin *-ficare* ("making"). Unlike "obfuscate," which deliberately cloaks a known truth, or "perplex," which puzzles through honest complexity, to mystify is the artful summoning of wondrous bafflement. It is the stage magician’s flawless vanish, the locked room with no apparent exit, the loved one who speaks in riddles and smiles—each a small conspiracy against the rational mind, leaving one suspended in the strange pleasure where understanding dissolves.
Etymology
From French mystifier, from Ancient Greek μυστικός (mustikós, “secret, mystic”) + Latin -ficare.
verb
- To thoroughly confuse, befuddle, or bewilder.e.g.“Solar eclipses continued to mystify ancient humans for thousands of years.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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