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

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

The potential of what AI can do for small businesses boggles the mind. —Contributing Writer, Orange County Register, 3 Sep. 2024

Watson’s time boggles the mind: 4.75 seconds is a tiny duration of time for any physical task, let alone ascending a 50-foot wall. —Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 7 Aug. 2024

The combination of possible finishes and styles totals a mind boggling 763,000 options! —Sunset Magazine, 22 July 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