baffled
/ˈbæf.əl/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈæfəld] /ˈbæf.əl/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈæfəld] /ˈba-fəld/ (ame, mw)
baffled — verb
- baffledpresent simple I / you / we / they
- baffleds3rd person singular
- baffleding-ing form
- bafflededpast simple
1. to leave someone so confused that they cannot make sense of what is happening or
to leave someone so confused that they cannot make sense of what is happening or why
The strange ending of the film baffled Femi and his friends completely.
transitive: baffle + direct object
Scientists remain baffled by the sudden collapse of the ancient civilisation near the river.
passive: be baffled by + unknown cause
The detective's unusual question baffled the witness, who sat in silence for several seconds.
The complex instructions baffled everyone who tried to assemble the bookshelf without help.
- clarify
to make something clear so it can be understood
文法句型
baffle + noun phrase (object)
be baffled (passive)
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive form 'be baffled' when describing someone's mental state rather than the thing causing it.
常見錯誤
baffled — adjective
- baffledpositive
- more baffledcomparative
- most baffledsuperlative
1. feeling or showing a state of complete confusion because something cannot be und
feeling or showing a state of complete confusion because something cannot be understood or explained
Amelia looked baffled when the teacher asked a question she had not expected.
predicative: look + baffled
The doctors were baffled by the child's unusual symptoms, which did not match any known illness.
passive adjective: were baffled by [reason]
Niran stood at the train station with a baffled expression, staring at the departure board.
Sayaka felt completely baffled by the scoring rules of the tennis tournament.
A baffled crowd gathered around the broken machine, wondering what had gone wrong.
- puzzled
less intense; suggests mild confusion about a single thing
- perplexed
more formal, suggests deep uncertainty
- bewildered
stronger emotional shock and disorientation
- clear-headed
thinking with clarity and understanding
文法句型
be + baffled
look/seem/feel + baffled
baffled + noun
用法筆記
Used predicatively (after 'be', 'feel', 'look', 'seem') more often than attributively (before a noun). When used before a noun (e.g. 'a baffled expression'), it describes the person's outward appearance of confusion.