Bamboozles

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To deceive or trick someone by confusing or misleading them
2. To cause someone to be perplexed or fooled through cunning or misleading actions
3. To mislead or cheat someone by using deceptive tactics or false information

Etymology: "Bamboozles" is the third-person singular present form of "bamboozle," so its history is the history of the verb. "Bamboozle" grew out of "bam," a 17th-century English slang verb meaning to trick or con someone. That verb was itself formed from "bam" used as a noun for a fraudster or cheat, so the trickster came first and the action followed from him. The origin of the "boozle" part is less certain. A possible source is the French "embobiner," meaning to hoodwink or deceive, though the link is not firmly established. What is clear is that "bamboozle" arose as playful slang rather than a formal word, which explains its lively sound.

Synonyms: deceives, tricks

Antonyms: enlightens