Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The state of being baffled, frustrated, or thwarted in one's endeavors; want of success after repeated attempts.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The process or act of baffling, or of being baffled; frustration; check.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun uncountable The state or result of being baffled, puzzled, or confused.
  • noun countable Something that causes a state of confusion or puzzlement.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun confusion resulting from failure to understand

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From baffle +‎ -ment.

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Examples

  • Dick shook his head in bafflement, and glanced at his watch.

    CHAPTER XXXI 2010

  • He was equable, he was to be relied upon, and withal there was a certain bafflement about him.

    Chapter 27 2010

  • One clue to help ease your bafflement is that Khamani has no political or cultural power in the United States, where most Harvard students live.

    Matthew Yglesias » Hagel-Bloomberg? 2007

  • Before we explore why it is that origin-of-life researchers feel the need to hide their bafflement from the public, it would be useful to demonstrate the truth of Davies observation with a recent paper by Eugene Koonin (HT to Paul Nelson).

    2007 June - Telic Thoughts 2007

  • Arne scowled in bafflement "With no attention to us?"

    REVIEW: Terraforming Earth by Jack Williamson 2004

  • And an expression of bafflement so typical of the retarded.

    When the Bough Breaks Jonathan Kellerman 1985

  • And an expression of bafflement so typical of the retarded.

    When the Bough Breaks Jonathan Kellerman 1985

  • And an expression of bafflement so typical of the retarded.

    When the Bough Breaks Jonathan Kellerman 1985

  • Dick shook his head in bafflement, and glanced at his watch.

    The Little Lady of the Big House, by Jack London 1916

  • He was equable, he was to be relied upon, and withal there was a certain bafflement about him.

    Chapter 27 1908

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