boggle
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to overwhelm or bewilder, as with magnitude, complexity, or strangeness.
The speed of light boggles the mind.
-
to bungle; botch.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
an act of shying or taking alarm.
-
a mess; a bungle or botch.
-
Archaic. a scruple; demur; hesitation.
verb
-
to be surprised, confused, or alarmed (esp in the phrase the mind boggles )
-
to hesitate or be evasive when confronted with a problem
-
(tr) to baffle; bewilder; puzzle
Other Word Forms
- bogglingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of boggle
First recorded in 1590–1600; perhaps from bogle
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They often feature steam-bent wood that makes my mind boggle when I visit, with its twists and turns.
From BBC • Jul. 10, 2025
The scale of the solar system and our universe can boggle the mind, he added.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2024
But Santos’ wardrobe, and his ability to ape an archetype, is a testament to just how much appearance can boggle the mind.
From Slate • May 16, 2023
Still, it would boggle my mind if this enthralling masterpiece is overlooked when nominations are announced next month.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 19, 2022
I will then decide, since you boggle about a mere form.
From Mary Wollstonecraft by Pennell, Elizabeth Robins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.