boggle

verb

bog·​gle ˈbä-gəl 

boggled; boggling ˈbä-g(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to start with fright or amazement : be overwhelmed

the mind boggles at the research needed

2

: to hesitate because of doubt, fear, or scruples

transitive verb

1

: mishandle, bungle

2

: to overwhelm with wonder or bewilderment

boggle the mind

boggle noun

Synonyms

• blow
• bobble
• bollix (up)
• boot
• botch
• bugger (up)
• bumble
• bungle
• butcher
• dub
• flub
• fluff
• foozle
• foul up
• fumble
• goof (up)
• louse up
• mangle
• mess (up)
• muck up
• muff
• murder
• screw up

Examples of boggle in a Sentence

I boggled my first effort to make homemade pasta

Recent Examples on the Web

But the breadth of AI activity in retail is just boggling. —Evan Clark, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019

Nowadays, the choice of where to ski in this extraordinary mountain range is mind boggling to say the least. —Duncan Madden, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

So, the bidding is sure to boggle the mind and, yes, the Yankees should be in on that, too. —Brendan Kuty, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024

Kate Fox: People don’t realize Hocus Pocus is fiction, which boggles my mind. —Shannon Carlin, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from bogle

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

boggle

verb

bog·​gle ˈbä-gəl 

boggled; boggling -g(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to start with fright or amazement

the mind boggles at the effort

2

: to hesitate because of doubt or fear

3

: to overwhelm with wonder or confusion

boggles the mind

boggle noun