Adjacent Words

Boggle definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BOG'GLE, v.i.
1. To doubt; to hesitate; to stop, as if afraid to proceed, or as if impeded by unforeseen difficulties; to play fast and loose. We boggle at every unusual appearance.
2. To dissemble.
BOG'GLE, v.t. To embarrass with difficulties; a popular or vulgar use of the word in the United States.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: startle with amazement or fear
2: hesitate when confronted with a problem, or when in doubt or fear
3: overcome with amazement; "This boggles the mind!" [syn: flabbergast, boggle, bowl over]

Merriam Webster's

verb (boggled; boggling) Etymology: perhaps from bogle Date: 1598 intransitive verb 1. to start with fright or amazement ; be overwhelmed <the mind boggles at the research needed> 2. to hesitate because of doubt, fear, or scruples transitive verb 1. mishandle, bungle 2. to overwhelm with wonder or bewilderment <boggle the mind> • boggle noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.intr. colloq. 1 be startled or baffled (esp. the mind boggles). 2 (usu. foll. by about, at) hesitate, demur. Etymology: prob. f. dial. boggle BOGEY(2)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Boggle Bog"gle, v. t. To embarrass with difficulties; to make a bungle or botch of. [Local, U. S.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bogle Bo"gle, n. [Scot. and North Eng. bogle, bogill, bugill, specter; as a verb, to terrify, fr. W. bwgwl threatening, fear, bwg, bwgan, specter, hobgoblin. Cf. Bug.] A goblin; a specter; a frightful phantom; a bogy; a bugbear. [Written also boggle.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Boggle Bog"gle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Boggled; p. pr. & vb. n. Boggling.] [ See Bogle, n.] 1. To stop or hesitate as if suddenly frightened, or in doubt, or impeded by unforeseen difficulties; to take alarm; to exhibit hesitancy and indecision. We start and boggle at every unusual appearance. --Glanvill. Boggling at nothing which serveth their purpose. --Barrow. 2. To do anything awkwardly or unskillfully. 3. To play fast and loose; to dissemble. --Howell. Syn: To doubt; hesitate; shrink; stickle; demur.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(boggles, boggling, boggled) If you say that the mind boggles at something or that something boggles the mind, you mean that it is so strange or amazing that it is difficult to imagine or understand. The mind boggles at the possibilities that could be in store for us... The good grace with which they face the latest privations makes the mind boggle... The management group's decision still boggled his mind. VERB: V at n, V, V n see also mind-boggling

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. n. 1. Hesitate, vacillate, waver, falter, demur, shrink, hang back, shrink back, hang fire, be in suspense. 2. Dissemble, play fast and loose, shuffle.

Moby Thesaurus

addle, amaze, around the bush, astonish, astound, awe, awestrike, back out, bad job, baffle, balk, bamboozle, bashfulness, be all thumbs, beat, beat about, bedaze, bedazzle, beef, beg the question, bevue, bewilder, bicker, bitch, blench, blow, blunder, blunder away, blunder into, blunder on, blunder upon, bobble, boggling, bollix, bonehead play, boner, boo-boo, botch, bowl down, bowl over, boycott, buffalo, bumble, bungle, butcher, call in question, cavil, challenge, chicken, chicken out, choplogic, clumsy performance, cobble, commit a gaffe, complain, compunction, confound, cry out against, daze, dazzle, demonstrate, demonstrate against, demur, demurral, desert under fire, diffidence, dispute, dodge, dumbfound, dumbfounder, enter a protest, equivocate, error, etourderie, evade, evade the issue, expostulate, falter, faltering, faux pas, fence, fight shy, fight shy of, flabbergast, flinch, floor, flounder, flub, fluff, foozle, fuddle, fumble, funk, funk out, gag, gaucherie, get, get cold feet, goof up, gum up, hang back, hang off, hash, have qualms, have two minds, hedge, hesitance, hesitancy, hesitate, hesitation, hold off, holler, howl, jib, jump, jump a mile, keep in suspense, kick, lick, lose courage, louse up, lumber, make bones about, mar, march, maze, mess, miscue, mistake, modesty, muddle, muff, murder, mystify, nitpick, nonplus, object, objection, obscure, off day, overwhelm, palter, panic, paralyze, parry, pause, perplex, petrify, pick nits, picket, play havoc with, press objections, prevaricate, protest, pull back, pussyfoot, puzzle, quail, qualm, qualm of conscience, qualmishness, quibble, raise a howl, rally, recoil, remonstrate, sad work, scruple, scrupulosity, scrupulousness, scuttle, shift, shrink, shrinking, shuffle, shy, shy at, shyness, sidestep, sit in, skedaddle, slip, split hairs, spoil, squawk, stagger, stampede, start, start aside, startle, state a grievance, stick, stick at, stickle, stickling, strain, strike, strike dead, strike dumb, strike with wonder, stumble, stump, stun, stupefy, surprise, teach in, tergiversate, throw, trip, waver, wince, yell bloody murder