Other forms: bumfuzzled; bumfuzzles; bumfuzzling
To bumfuzzle someone is to surprise, befuddle, or confuse them. If everyone looks at you in bewilderment after you've explained the directions for a game, you've bumfuzzled them.
The exact origin of bumfuzzle isn't known for certain, but it's suspiciously similar to the words bamboozle, fuzzy, and dumbfound, all of which have related meanings. Earlier variations of the word bumfuzzle include bamfoozle, dumfoozle, and bamfuzzle. Perhaps people were so bumfuzzled by these words, they accidentally mashed them together, giving birth to a new synonym! Today, you're most likely to hear this whimsical, old-fashioned word in the Southern and Midwestern regions of the United States.