flummox
verb /ˈflʌməks/
/ˈflʌməks/
[usually passive] not used in the progressive tenses (informal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they flummox | /ˈflʌməks/ /ˈflʌməks/ |
| he / she / it flummoxes | /ˈflʌməksɪz/ /ˈflʌməksɪz/ |
| past simple flummoxed | /ˈflʌməkst/ /ˈflʌməkst/ |
| past participle flummoxed | /ˈflʌməkst/ /ˈflʌməkst/ |
| he / she / it flummoxing | /ˈflʌməksɪŋ/ /ˈflʌməksɪŋ/ |
- to confuse somebody so that they do not know what to say or do
- be flummoxed (by something) I was flummoxed by her question.
Word Originmid 19th cent.: probably of dialect origin; flummock ‘to make untidy, confuse’ is recorded in western counties and the north Midlands of England.