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mystify

gb/mˈɪstəfˌaɪ/ us/mˈɪstəfˌaɪ/
C1 Engleză
Sensuri
0 sensuri
Verb C1 action
1

confuse someone completely

To make someone feel confused because they do not understand.

Tipar de utilizare: mystify [someone] (with/by [something])
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes confuse mystified (confused) with mysterious (strange or unknown).
Sinonime
confuse (More general and common.) | puzzle (Suggests the person is trying to understand.) | baffle (Stronger; suggests total inability to understand.)
Antonime
clarify (Makes something easier to understand.) | explain (Gives reasons or details so it becomes clear.)
Colocații
mystify the audience |mystify readers |mystify viewers |mystify the police |mystify scientists |mystify customers |mystify voters |completely mystify |mystify someone with jargon |mystify someone by changing the rules
Teme
communication |thinking |emotions
Exemple
  • The sudden drop in sales mystified the whole team.
  • Her reaction mystified me—I thought she’d be pleased.
  • The instructions mystified him, so he asked for help.
Exemple pentru cursanți
  • This question mystifies me.
  • The map mystified us.
Verb C1 action
2

make something harder to understand

To make something difficult to understand by making it seem complicated or secret.

Tipar de utilizare: mystify [something] (for [someone])
Greșeală frecventă:
In this sense, mystify is about making the subject unclear (not about creating real mystery or magic).
Sinonime
obscure (Emphasizes hiding or blocking understanding.) | complicate (Emphasizes making something more complex than it needs to be.) | muddy (Informal; emphasizes making something less clear.)
Antonime
simplify (Makes something easier to understand.) | demystify (Explains something so it seems less mysterious or complex.)
Colocații
mystify the process |mystify the issue |mystify the subject |mystify the debate |mystify a simple idea |mystify the public |mystify the facts |deliberately mystify |mystify through technical language |mystify with complex explanations
Teme
communication |education |media
Exemple
  • Some legal documents mystify a straightforward issue with needless jargon.
  • He tried to mystify the explanation so no one would question his numbers.
  • The speaker mystified the topic instead of making it clearer.
Exemple pentru cursanți
  • Please don’t mystify it—explain it simply.
  • Jargon can mystify new learners.
Gramatică
Forma de dicționar
mystify
IPA
GB/mˈɪstəfˌaɪ/
US/mˈɪstəfˌaɪ/
Silabe și accent
mys - ti - fy (3 silabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (mys)
Forme ale cuvântului
Verb
  • Base: mystify
  • 3rd Person Singular: mystifies
  • Present Participle: mystifying
  • Past: mystified
Familie de cuvinte
Forms
mystifies verb mystifying verb mystified verb
Core family
mystery noun B1 mysterious adjective B1 mysteriously adverb
Related words
mystification noun mystical adjective B2
Negative and opposite forms
demystify verb C1
Advanced or less common
demystification noun C1 mysticism noun
Expresii

be mystified (by/at [something])

1
/bˈi mˈɪstəfˌaɪd bˈaɪət sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase

be very confused

To not understand something and feel confused.

Exemple
  • I was mystified by the final scene of the film.
  • She seemed mystified at his sudden apology.
  • They were mystified by how the data disappeared.

mystify the issue/matter

1
/mˈɪstəfˌaɪ ðə ɪsˈʊmətɚ/
fixed phrase

make a problem less clear

To make a problem more confusing.

Exemple
  • The report mystified the issue instead of addressing it clearly.
  • Don’t mystify the matter—tell us what changed.
  • The spokesperson mystified the issue with vague answers.

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