baffled

1 of 2

adjective

baf·​fled ˈba-fəld 

1

: extremely confused or puzzled

… his explanation of a piano's key action will leave you more baffled than before.

—Martin Levine

Molecular biologists became even more baffled when they looked at the messenger RNAs: many of the molecules were longer than the DNA from which they had been transcribed.

—John Rennie

In Miss Kate's eyes there was a troubled, baffled look …

—Edna Ferber

We have all heard novelists testify to the fact that, beginning a new book, they are utterly baffled as to how to proceed …

—Donald Barthelme

2

: equipped with a baffle

Ventilation openings are baffled to prevent stray light from reaching the operator's eyes …

—Bausch & Lomb catalog

A baffled fuel cell keeps the weight in place.

—Kevin Falvey

baffled

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of baffle entry 1

Synonyms of baffled

Adjective

• perplexed
• bewildered
• embarrassed

Examples of baffled in a Sentence

Adjective

baffled viewers didn't know what to make of the strange antics of the talk show host

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The idea of there being two movies about concrete in the first place is baffling to me; Wilson, on the other hand, seems baffled that such a situation would stop a studio from greenlighting a project. — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026

The sleek, gold-colored coupé impressed with a futuristic design, but baffled onlookers with its cramped two-seat interior, lack of a charging port, and a dubious, far-too-good-to-be-true $30,000 price tag. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 10 Sep. 2026

The internet is full of photos of 841 munching on purloined surfboards and then sitting on top of them, snarling at baffled young men in wet suits who try, and then think better of, fighting her for their property. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

What baffled Russell was the difference in straight-line speed. — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 21 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for baffled

• scaffold