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baffle
[ baf-uhl ]
verb (used with object)
- to confuse, bewilder, or perplex:
He was baffled by the technical language of the instructions.
- to frustrate or confound; thwart by creating confusion or bewilderment.
- to check or deflect the movement of (sound, light, fluids, etc.).
- to equip with a baffle or baffles.
- Obsolete. to cheat; trick.
verb (used without object)
- to struggle ineffectually, as a ship in a gale.
noun
- something that balks, checks, or deflects.
- an artificial obstruction for checking or deflecting the flow of gases (as in a boiler), sounds (as in the loudspeaker system of a radio or hi-fi set), light (as in a darkroom), etc.
- any boxlike enclosure or flat panel for mounting a loudspeaker.
baffle
/ ˈbæfəl /
verb
- to perplex; bewilder; puzzle
- to frustrate (plans, efforts, etc)
- to check, restrain, or regulate (the flow of a fluid or the emission of sound or light)
- to provide with a baffle
- obsolete.to cheat or trick
noun
- Also calledbaffle boardbaffle plate a plate or mechanical device designed to restrain or regulate the flow of a fluid, the emission of light or sound, or the distribution of sound, esp in a loudspeaker or microphone
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Derived Forms
- ˈbaffler, noun
- ˈbafflement, noun
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Other Words From
- baf·fle·ment noun
- baf·fler noun
- baf·fling adjective
- baf·fling·ly adverb
- baf·fling·ness noun
- un·baf·fling adjective
- un·baf·fling·ly adverb
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Word History and Origins
Origin of baffle1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of baffle1
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Synonym Study
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Example Sentences
To their surprise, however, one snake “formed its body in a ring around the baffle and then started to wiggle up,” Savidge says.
One of these ways involved tests to see whether a wide pipe, or baffle, around a pole could prevent predators from reaching a starling nest box at the top.
With their help, I’d made progress toward a prototype for my tiny satellites, inventing and testing precision-pointing hardware and software, and perfecting the design of the onboard telescope and its protective baffle.
These baffles “hug” the microphone and block out external noise while focusing on the source and enhancing the quality of final audio, making them an exceptional tool for recording vocals, kick drums, guitar amps and more.
The glass is lined with custom baffles contoured to block daytime glare.
This hidden Eden continues to baffle geologists with its oculus of volcanic stone.
That decision continues to baffle some law enforcement officials nearly two decades later.
With only two young witnesses, no clear motive, and no identified suspect, the case continues to baffle authorities.
It was no good to set broad goals for agencies: those goals tended to contradict each other—or else to baffle the agency itself.
The singer-actress admits the debate continues to offend and baffle her.
It was Carmena, every nerve of her loyal nature on the alert to baffle this pursuer of Alessandro and Ramona.
We went from office to office, where everything seemed designed to baffle suitors conducting their own cases.
Its limitless deeps reveal themselves to us, and yet baffle our gaze: close themselves against research, but open to conjecture.
Thanks to the darkness and the water, you baffle the hounds, both animal and human.
Both could blight the promise of the harvest, baffle the plans of their enemies, or wither the health of their victims.
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Related Words
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More About Baffle
What does baffle mean?
Baffle means to confuse, bewilder, perplex, or confound.
The word usually implies that such confusion causes someone to come to standstill—that it stumps them or makes them completely bewildered.
You might be baffled by a difficult riddle or confusing instructions. People’s strange behavior might baffle you. The term is often used in the context of experts or scientists being baffled by some newly discovered thing or phenomenon—one they can’t figure out or comprehend.
Someone or something that baffles can be described as baffling.
As a verb, baffle can also mean to deflect or regulate the movement or flow of something, such as gas or light. The word can also be used as a noun referring to a component or part that does this.
Example: This door is completely baffling! I can never figure out how to get it unlocked.
Where does baffle come from?
The first records of the word baffle come from around the 1540s. Its origin isn’t certain, but it may derive from the Scottish bauchle, meaning “to disgrace or treat with contempt.” It may also be related to the French verb bafouer, meaning “to disgrace.”
The first records of the word baffle as a noun referring to a component that regulates or stops the flow of something come from the early 1900s. Components called baffles are used in things like boilers and wood-burning stoves to regulate the flow of heat and gas. They’re also used in speaker systems to regulate sound and in darkrooms to control the amount of light.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to baffle?
- baffling (adjective)
- bafflingly (adverb)
- bafflement (noun)
- baffler (noun)
What are some synonyms for baffle?
What are some words that share a root or word element with baffle?
What are some words that often get used in discussing baffle?
How is baffle used in real life?
Baffle is usually used in informal contexts involving extreme confusion or things that you just can’t understand.
Officials are baffled by the appearance of a metal monolith in a remote part of Utah https://t.co/sBd2YIybES
— Telegraph World News (@TelegraphWorld) November 24, 2020
The way my contact can disappear and reappear on my eyeball will always baffle me
— John but actually Mitch (@mitch_aguirre69) December 19, 2019
Baffle cynical people by being kind to them.
— Rick Colby (@RickBColby) December 27, 2019
Try using baffle!
Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of baffle?
A. bewilder
B. befuddle
C. enlighten
D. puzzle
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