boggle the mind

boggle (one's)/the mind

To thoroughly overwhelm, confuse, or surprise one. The show of support from everyone just boggled my mind. The plot of that move totally boggled my mind—did you understand it?
See also: boggle, mind
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

boggle the mind

Bewilder or astonish with complexity, novelty, or the like, as in The very magnitude of the Milky Way boggles the mind. The source of this usage is unclear, as the verb to boggle has several other seemingly unrelated meanings-to shy away, to hesitate, to bungle. [Second half of 1900s]
See also: boggle, mind
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • boggle
  • boggle (one's)/the mind
  • boggle mind
  • make mind up
  • make up (one's) mind
  • make up mind
  • make up one's mind
  • make up your mind
  • Make your mind up
  • It blows my mind!
References in periodicals archive
This very duality and spontaneity of the material boggle the mind and makes one ponder upon Plato's notion of the reality of forms, he says.
While the present government's effort to provide redress to bereaved civilians through the national citizen's portal is laudable, its inability to foresee the negative aspects of it in its present form, boggle the mind. The national complaint cell does provide an avenue to register valid complaints against different officials in various government departments but it also provides an avenue for abuse by which officials can be threatened and extorted.
It never fails to boggle the mind, how sleight-of-hand tricks and optical illusion make, for instance, people disappear from or suddenly appear in cages too small for comfort.
The funds and benefits that are received by federal politicians boggle the mind. How many of them who have served for some time leave office with limited resources?
The indoor exhibit stalls hosted by science fans, crafters, coders and DIY-lovers had plenty to boggle the mind and keep all ages entertained.
The indoor exhibits stalls hosted by science fans, crafters, coders and DIY-lovers had plenty to boggle the mind and keep all ages entertained.
Hibs should be up there leading from the front but instead they dropped off the face of the map and into a Championship all set up to boggle the mind.
Her accomplishments boggle the mind. Allow me to highlight them.
Summary: There's 20,000 feet of display, 100,000 smartphone applications and discounts of up to 50 per cent -- the numbers may boggle the mind, but tech heads will know enough to understand there is plenty to indulge in at Gitex's first spring edition.
The town has more than 50 resident magicians who have established a community, German Magicians' Circle, to share tricks and inventing new ones to boggle the mind. Haussler, along with three other magicians from the community, have come to perform for the first time in front of Indian audiences.
"SeaSick" is a tale set on the cruise ship called Palace of the Dolphins, but author Gloria Nagy's story isn't about the ship; it is instead about the people on the ship, an eccentric cast of characters sure to boggle the mind with their personality quirks and humanity.
Yes to the teaching about religions, though the dangers there boggle the mind. No to personal expressions of belief by teachers because they may influence students, but much depends on age and sophistication.
These kinds of numbers boggle the mind, and when it becomes particularly uncomfortable thinking about them, we do a mental block-out.
Some convenience stores are dramatically increasing their offerings of single-serve products that are fresh-to-go at prices that boggle the mind of supermarket family shoppers but seem reasonable to someone who wants to eat healthy without hassle.
The science and pseudo-science boggle the mind. The story begins in Rosewell, Kansas in 1947.