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

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

There are so many questions related to this that boggle the mind: why doesn’t Ashley fight harder for Joanne to make this a priority? —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2024

For each activity there are multiple coaches and multiple settings to choose from and the realism, immersion and incredible clarity of the virtual settings is mind boggling. —Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024

The results prepare the ground for a boggling encounter upstairs on the museum’s mezzanine — an astonishingly plain installation of three mirrored walls. —Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 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