baffling

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈbæflɪŋ/ UK /ˈbæflɪŋ/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
impossible to understand; perplexing

The disappearance remained baffling to investigators for decades.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · impossible to understand;... confusing perplexing puzzling bewildering mystifying inexplicable

Opposites

clear obvious comprehensible

Word family

Related forms baffle bafflement

Etymology

Present participle of baffle ('to confuse'), of uncertain origin, perhaps from Scots bauchle.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# 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

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