mystify
To confuse someone completely.
mystify in a sentence
- The vanishing coin trick mystified the children, who checked the magician's sleeves twice.
- Crop circles mystify visitors, who leave the field scratching their heads in confusion.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to mystify?
- Areveal
- Bconfuse
- Cexplain
- Dshow
Show the answer
B: confuse. The other three mean the opposite of mystify.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to mystify?
- Aexplain
- Bpuzzle
- Cconfuse
- Dstump
Show the answer
A: explain. The other three mean nearly the same as mystify.
Words that mean something similar
confuse, puzzle, stump
Words that mean the opposite
explain, show, reveal
More words about thinking & learning
- mythical: Existing only in stories and legends, not in real life.
- notion: An idea or a thought about something.
- novel: New, different and unlike anything seen before.
- novice: Someone who is new to an activity and still learning it.
- oblivious: Not noticing what is happening around you.
- obscure: Not well known, or hard to see or understand.
- observant: Quick to notice things that other people miss.
- observe: To watch something carefully in order to learn about it.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test