boggle

IPA/ˈbɒɡl/
KK[bˈɑɡəl]IPA/ˈbɑːɡl/

boggle — 動詞

  • bogglepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • boggleshe / she / it
  • boggledpast simple
  • boggling-ing form

1. to surprise or shock a person so strongly that they lose the ability to think cl

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

嚇呆；使困惑

使某人驚嚇或困惑到無法思考

to surprise or shock a person so strongly that they lose the ability to think clearly or react normally

例句

The sheer size of the ancient temple boggled the visiting archaeologists.

這座古廟的巨大規模嚇呆了來訪的考古學家們。

The speed at which the toddler learned to read boggled his parents.

那位幼兒學習閱讀的速度之快，讓他的父母困惑不已。

something + boggles + someone (person as object)

同義詞
  • bewilder

    more formal and suggests a stronger sense of being lost

  • overwhelm

    broader meaning; can refer to emotion, quantity, or difficulty

  • stun

    focuses on the surprise element; often used for shocking news

反義詞
  • clarify

    to make something easy to understand instead of confusing

文法句型

something + boggles + someone

用法筆記

Object is always a person or group of people who experience confusion or surprise.

常見錯誤

❌I boggled the math problem.
✅The math problem boggled me.
💡In this sense, the surprising thing is the subject, and the person who is confused is the object.

2. describes a situation so strange or remarkable that you cannot easily believe it

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

難以想像

某事太過奇特或極端而難以想像或接受

describes a situation so strange or remarkable that you cannot easily believe it or picture it clearly in your head

例句

The mind boggles at the thought of travelling to another galaxy within a single lifetime.

一想到有生之年可能飛到另一個星系，就讓人難以想像。

intransitive pattern: the mind boggles at [something]

It boggles the mind how anyone could eat fifty dumplings in one sitting.

真難以想像有人能一次吃下五十顆水餃。

transitive pattern: it + boggles + the mind + how/that clause

同義詞

文法句型

the mind boggles (at something)

something + boggles + the mind

用法筆記

This sense appears almost exclusively in the fixed phrases 'the mind boggles' (intransitive) and 'it boggles the mind' or '[something] boggles the mind' (transitive). It is the most frequent and widely understood use of the word.

常見錯誤

❌The problem boggled.
✅The mind boggles at the problem.
💡In this sense, 'boggle' needs 'the mind' or a similar expression; you cannot use it alone.

3. describes something so complex or surprising that you find it extremely hard to

3.動詞及物 / 不及物C1
釋義

無法理解

事物極複雜或離奇令理解力或想像力無法負荷

describes something so complex or surprising that you find it extremely hard to grasp what it means or how it works

例句

It boggles the imagination that humans once walked on the Moon.

想到人類曾經在月球表面行走，真是讓人無法理解。

pattern: it + boggles + the imagination + that-clause

For a newcomer, the rules of this board game boggle the understanding completely.

對新手來說，這款桌遊的規則完全超越他們的理解能力。

object is abstract 'understanding', not a person

同義詞

文法句型

it + boggles + the imagination/understanding + that-clause

something + boggles + the imagination/understanding

用法筆記

Only used with abstract objects like 'the imagination' or 'the understanding'; not used with a person as the object. Distinguish from sense 1 (CONFUSE OR SURPRISE): in sense 1, the object is always a person or group; in sense 3, the object must be abstract.

常見錯誤

❌The difficult math boggled the students.
✅The difficult math boggled the understanding of the students.
💡Sense 3 does not take a person as object; use an abstract noun like 'understanding' or 'imagination'.

4. to pause or hold back because a situation is so surprising or shocking that you

4.動詞不及物C2
釋義

驚愕遲疑

因震驚或困惑而猶豫不決

to pause or hold back because a situation is so surprising or shocking that you do not know how to react or what to do next

例句

The committee boggled at the proposal when they saw how much it would cost.

委員會看到提案所需的花費後，驚訝得猶豫不決。

pattern: someone + boggles at + something

Even the seasoned mountaineer boggled at the thought of climbing the north face in winter.

就連那位經驗豐富的登山家，想到要在冬季攀登北壁也不禁遲疑。

同義詞
  • hesitate

    weaker; lacks the element of shock or surprise

  • balk

    similar meaning but implies active refusal rather than confusion

  • recoil

    suggests a physical or emotional pulling back in disgust or fear

反義詞

文法句型

someone + boggles at + something

用法筆記

This sense is the oldest historically but is now rare in everyday speech. It often carries a slight tone of disbelief mixed with hesitation. The subject is a person or group, and 'at' introduces the cause of the reaction.

常見錯誤

❌She boggled the strange offer.
✅She boggled at the strange offer.
💡In this intransitive sense, you need the preposition 'at' after 'boggle'.