Word of the day: Bamboozle
Pronunciation
 /bæmˈbuː.zəl/

Meaning

The word bamboozle means to trick, deceive, or confuse someone, often playfully or cunningly. It can also mean to mystify or puzzle someone completely.

Origin and history

The exact origins of bamboozle are uncertain, but it first appeared in English literature around 1703. The English writer Jonathan Swift (Gulliver's Travels) criticised the word bamboozle in 1710, calling it a low and improper term, which ironically helped increase its popularity.

Possible influences:

"Bam" and "Bamfoozle": Some theories suggest the word evolved from the 17th-century vernacular term "bam" (to trick, con), which itself might have been related to "bamfoozle." 

Italian "imbambolare": Another possibility is an influence from the Italian word "imbambolare," meaning "to make a fool of one." 

German "Bambus": Some speculate a connection to the German word "Bambus," meaning "a good-for-nothing; idler." 

 

Modern usage

Gradually, bamboozle became widely used in both formal and informal speech.

Today, it is used humorously to describe situations where someone is fooled, tricked, or led to believe something false

Examples from books and articles

  • Whereon it, the sophisticated piece of hardware that it was, chomped away in simulated contentment, bamboozling the other tenants of the building - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
  • But they had succeeded in playing a very simple trick, bamboozling the Mark commander, attacking his sentries and escaping by night - Watership Down: A Novel by Richard Adam

 

Synonyms

  • Hoodwink
  • Dupe
  • Swindle
  • Con
  • Fool
  • Deceive
  • Cheat
  • Mislead
  • Outwit
  • Trick