Bamboozling

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Causing someone to be confused or deceived through trickery or misleading actions
2. Leading a person into misunderstanding or doubt by using cunning or misleading tactics
3. Confusing or fooling someone by employing tricks or deceptive behavior

Etymology: The verb "bamboozle" is a 17th-century word, and its roots lie in a slang noun, "bam", meaning a fraudster or cheat. From that noun came a verb meaning to trick or con someone, and "bamboozling" is simply the form of that verb used for the act of tricking or confusing another person. The exact origin of "bam" is uncertain. One suggestion is that "bamboozle" may come from the French "embobiner", meaning to hoodwink or deceive, but the connection is not firmly established. What is clear is that the word began as informal, street-level slang for swindling, and its sense of deliberate trickery has stayed close to that original meaning.

Synonyms: deceiving, confusing, tricking

Antonyms: clarifying, explaining, enlightening