bafflement
nounUK /ˈbaf(ə)lmənt/
Etymology From baffle + -ment.
1
The result or state of being baffled, confused, or puzzled; a shocked feeling of perplexed bewilderment, caused by being utterly unable to understand something or to move on from one's incomprehension.
- My bafflement at being caught in this situation made it hard to come up with a way out.
- "Have you any theory about this occurrence to-night?" She watched him eagerly as she asked the question. He made a gesture of bafflement. "None whatever—it's beyond me," he confessed.1920, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Avery Hopwood, chapter XII, in The Bat: A Novel from the Play (Dell Book; 241), New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing Company, →OCLC:
1 more example
- The error here is to confuse British composure with the appearance of bafflement, embarrassment and reserve.2008, Chris Rojek, Brit-Myth: Who Do the British Think They Are?, Reaktion Books, →ISBN:
2
Something that causes a state of confusion or puzzlement.
- The cartoon characters on the front cover, the irritatingly meaningless track names . . . make it seem like a concept album about global warming for kids. Since the lyrics remain a bafflement, it might well be.2005 December 16, Josh Tyrangiel, “Best of 2005: Music”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 13 Sep 2006: