bamboozle

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English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Derivative of 17th-century vernacular bam (“to trick, to con”), which is a derivative of bam in noun use (fraudster, cheat). Possibly from French embobiner.

Pronunciation

Verb

bamboozle (third-person singular simple present bamboozles, present participle bamboozling, simple past and past participle bamboozled)

  1. (transitive, informal) To con, defraud, trick, to make a fool of, to humbug or impose on someone.
  2. (transitive, informal) To confuse, frustrate or perplex.
    He's completely bamboozled by the changes in the computer system.
    • 1951 February, “Chess Caviar”, in Chess Review:
      "Although Morphy misplays the opening, it does not take him long to bamboozle his opponent."
    • 2021 October 12, Jamie Lyall, “Faroe Islands 0-1 Scotland”, in BBC Sport‎:
      Clarke's defence, bolstered by the return of Grant Hanley, was bamboozled by a flurry of Faroese raids, at least one of which should have delivered a goal.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

bamboozle (plural bamboozles)

  1. (obsolete, informal) A cheat, hoax, or imposition.
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