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mystification

mystification

3 8.1
Making things confusing so people feel puzzled
  • noun
  • /ˌmɪstɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
translation icon : misticismo
  • In his eyes, there was the look of mystification and alarm.
  • ideological mystification
  • process of mystification

Examples

  • Before long, and I’m sure to your complete mystification, we were arguing.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • My mother was standing in the kitchen as I ran in, staring in mystification at Masood's rack of spices.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • His voice went deeper and came up heavy with mystification.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • The result is not the readers' instruction but their ultimate mystification.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Despite the mystification that plagues Iser's style, Prospecting is his most readable work.

    Academic text (2002)
  • The child's look of mystification after hearing the complex explanation was clear.

  • Her mystification grew as the magician continued to perform his impossible tricks.

  • The sudden twist in the plot left the audience in complete mystification.

Synonyms

misunderstanding
vsmystification
243 1.6

When someone does not understand something correctly and this causes a problem

is different, as it names causing confusion or the state of being puzzled
bewilderment
vsmystification
12 4.8

A feeling of being very confused and not knowing what to do

also includes the act of making things confusing not only the feeling
obfuscation
vsmystification
  • Formal
12 8.7

Making something unclear or hard to understand on purpose

is broader, covering deliberate making unclear and the confused state it causes
puzzlement
vsmystification
9 5.5

A feeling of not understanding something that is hard to explain

is similar but also denotes causing that puzzled feeling in others
perplexity
vsmystification
4 7.5

Feeling confused because something is hard to understand

also covers deliberate or accidental causing of that puzzled state
bemusement
vsmystification
4 7.4

A feeling of confusion when something is hard to understand

is wider, also meaning the action that produces this puzzled state
incomprehension
vsmystification
4 6.9

A feeling of not being able to understand something

also covers the act of making things hard to understand for others
bafflement
vsmystification
3 7.0

A feeling of confusion when you cannot understand something

is broader, also naming the process that creates that feeling
befuddlement
vsmystification
1 8.1

A state of being confused and not able to think clearly

extends this by including making something intentionally or unintentionally unclear
mysteriousness
vsmystification
1 5.2

A quality of being hard to understand and making people curious

stresses making things confusing or the resulting state rather than curiosity
confusedness
vsmystification
6.5

A feeling of not thinking or acting clearly

adds the sense of creating that lack of clarity as an action
enigmaticness
vsmystification
9.2

A state of being mysterious and hard to understand

focuses more on causing confusion or the resulting confused state

Antonyms

1.0

A statement that makes something clear or helps someone understand

62 3.3

An explanation that makes something easier to understand

How Confusing

bewilderment
12 4.8
mystification
3 8.1
perplexity
4 7.5
confusion
389 1.8

Surface Forms

mystification singular

Morphology

mystification = mystify (transparent) = mystic + ify + ation

The noun is a regular nominalization of 'mystify' with '-ation', so the meaning 'the act or state of mystifying' is straightforward.

Etymology

The word mystification comes from the same root as mystery and mystify, which originally meant 'secret' in Greek. So, mystification is the act of making something seem secret or strange, leaving people confused or puzzled.