bafflement C2+ Topic:Law & Government US /ˈbæfəlmənt/ UK /ˈbæfəlmənt/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun the state of being utterly puzzled or confused The cryptic message left the detectives in complete bafflement. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · the state of being utterly... confusionbewildermentperplexitypuzzlementmystification ↔ Opposites clarityunderstanding Word family Related forms bafflebaffling Etymology AI details From baffle + the noun suffix -ment; baffle is of uncertain origin, perhaps from Scots bauchle ('to disgrace'). Topics Law & Government Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # bafflement **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈbæfəlmənt/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈbæfəlmənt/ ## Meanings 1. the state of being utterly puzzled or confused ## Examples - The cryptic message left the detectives in complete bafflement. ## Synonyms - confusion - bewilderment - perplexity - puzzlement - mystification ## Antonyms - clarity - understanding ## Related Forms - baffle - baffling ## Etymology From baffle + the noun suffix -ment; baffle is of uncertain origin, perhaps from Scots bauchle ('to disgrace'). ## AI Etymology bafflement comes from baffle + the noun suffix -ment; baffle is of uncertain origin, perhaps from Scots bauchle ('to disgrace'). Morphologically, the word is transparent: -ment is attached to the older base named in the history, so the modern form packages an inherited or borrowed stem inside a later English derivative. In modern use, the noun sense is "the state of being utterly puzzled or confused", which keeps the etymology connected to the word's present dictionary value rather than treating it as a merely historical label. The wider word family includes related English forms such as baffle, baffling, showing how the same base continues to support neighboring English vocabulary. ## Topics - Law & Government - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown