mystify

/ˈmɪstɪfaɪ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɪstɪfaɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmi-stə-ˌfī/ (ame, mw)

mystify — verb

  • mystifypresent simple I / you / we / they
  • mystifieshe / she / it
  • mystifiedpast simple
  • mystifying-ing form

1. to leave somebody puzzled because what is happening or what has been said is so

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to leave somebody puzzled because what is happening or what has been said is so strange that they cannot work out a reason for it

例句

The sudden change in Sayaka's mood mystified her closest friends.

mystify + somebody: subject is the event or behaviour, object is the puzzled person

Ignacio was mystified by the strange noises coming from the empty attic.

passive: be mystified by + noun phrase

同義詞
  • puzzle

    everyday register; lighter — used for crosswords or small problems as well as serious confusion

  • baffle

    stronger than puzzle; suggests the puzzle resists every attempt at an answer

  • bewilder

    emphasises feeling lost or disoriented rather than searching for a logical answer

  • perplex

    slightly more formal; focuses on intellectual difficulty

反義詞
  • clarify

    make something clear instead of confusing

  • explain

    give the reason so the puzzle disappears

文法句型

mystify + somebody

be mystified by + noun

用法筆記

Frequently passive: 'be mystified by/at + noun'. Subject is the puzzling event, behaviour, or object — not a person acting on purpose. Distinguish from sense 2, where someone deliberately makes something hard to understand.

常見錯誤

❌The teacher mystified the lesson to the class.
✅The lesson mystified the class.
💡the subject of sense 1 is the puzzling thing, not the agent who explains it.
❌I am mystifying about his answer.
✅I am mystified by his answer.
💡the puzzled person is the object or the passive subject, never the present-participle subject.

2. to deliberately present an idea, process, or subject in a way that hides its tru

2.動詞及物C2
釋義

to deliberately present an idea, process, or subject in a way that hides its true workings, so that ordinary people cannot easily understand it

例句

Critics argue that some economists mystify the housing market to protect their authority.

mystify + abstract noun (housing market, economy, science)

Imani believes that legal language often mystifies contracts on purpose.

同義詞
  • obscure

    general verb for making something hard to see or understand; less critical in tone

  • mystic

    rare verb form; almost always replaced by 'mystify' in modern writing

  • obfuscate

    very formal; strongly suggests deliberate confusion in language or argument

反義詞
  • demystify

    the direct opposite — make a complex topic open and understandable

  • clarify

    explain so that ordinary readers can follow

文法句型

mystify + noun (an idea, process, or subject)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 by intent: here the subject is usually a person, institution, or text that obscures something on purpose. The object is typically an abstract topic (the law, the economy, science), not a single person.

常見錯誤

❌The magician's trick mystified me.' (with sense 2 in mind)
✅Use sense 1 here
💡the magician is not deliberately obscuring a system of knowledge; he is producing a puzzling effect.