Standard Lemma guide

mystify

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈmɪstɪfaɪ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M IH1 S T AH0 F AY2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To thoroughly confuse, befuddle, or bewilder.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Solar eclipses continued to mystify ancient humans for thousands of years.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

make mysterious

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • mystify the story

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: demystify

Broader terms: obscure, blot out, obliterate, veil, hide

3

verb

Meaning 3

be a mystery or bewildering to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • This beats me!
  • Got me--I don't know the answer!
  • a vexing problem
  • This question really stuck me

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: perplex, vex, stick, get, puzzle, baffle, beat, pose, bewilder, flummox, stupefy, nonplus, gravel, amaze, dumbfound

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: confuse, throw, fox, befuddle, fuddle, bedevil, confound, discombobulate

Narrower terms: stump, mix up, riddle, elude, escape

History

Etymology

From French mystifier, from Ancient Greek μυστικός (mustikós, “secret, mystic”) + Latin -ficare.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: озадачавам (ozadačavam) — to thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
  • Bulgarian: смущавам (smuštavam) — to thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
  • German: verblüffen — to thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
  • German: irritieren — to thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
  • Polish: zakłopotać — to thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
  • Polish: zadziwiać — to thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
  • Polish: zadziwić — to thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
  • Russian: мистифици́ровать (mistificírovatʹ) — to thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
  • Serbo-Croatian: mistificírati — to thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
  • Swedish: mystifiera — to thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
  • Swedish: förbrylla — to thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder
  • Turkish: afallatmak — to thoroughly confuse, befuddle or bewilder