baffling C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈbæflɪŋ/ UK /ˈbæflɪŋ/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adj impossible to understand; perplexing The disappearance remained baffling to investigators for decades. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · impossible to understand;... confusingperplexingpuzzlingbewilderingmystifyinginexplicable ↔ Opposites clearobviouscomprehensible Word family Related forms bafflebafflement Etymology AI details Present participle of baffle ('to confuse'), of uncertain origin, perhaps from Scots bauchle. Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # baffling **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ˈbæflɪŋ/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈbæflɪŋ/ ## Meanings 1. impossible to understand; perplexing ## Examples - The disappearance remained baffling to investigators for decades. ## Synonyms - confusing - perplexing - puzzling - bewildering - mystifying - inexplicable ## Antonyms - clear - obvious - comprehensible ## Related Forms - baffle - bafflement ## Etymology Present participle of baffle ('to confuse'), of uncertain origin, perhaps from Scots bauchle. ## AI Etymology baffling is the present participle of baffle ('to confuse'), of uncertain origin, perhaps from Scots bauchle. The explanation preserves that uncertainty: the proposed comparisons illuminate the form, but they do not turn the word into a securely traced inheritance or borrowing. In modern use, the adjective sense is "impossible to understand; perplexing", 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, bafflement, showing how the same base continues to support neighboring English vocabulary. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown