I. ˈbägəl verb
( boggled ; boggled ; boggling ˈbäg(ə)liŋ ; boggles )
Etymology: perhaps from boggle (III)
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to make a sudden jerky movement (as of alarm) : start with fright : shy
the prisoner boggled at the sight of the gallows
b. : to be startled (as with amazement or surprise) : be overwhelmed : be set reeling
the reporters boggled over the president's sensational press statement
the imagination boggles at the thought of interstellar distances
2.
a. : to move hesitatingly or evasively : hold back from decisive action (as through doubt, fear, or scruples) : show indecision : shilly-shally
his responsibilities coupled with his marked inepitude caused him to be perpetually boggling
b. : to raise objections usually minor or petty : hang back from full acceptance or agreement : demur , stickle , haggle
no matter how good the argument, he would always pick out something to boggle about
3. : to perform an action awkwardly : work unskillfully : make clumsy efforts
uses only one epithet, but it is the right one, and never boggles and patches — Leslie Stephen
: bungle , blunder
boggling along through the job
transitive verb
1.
a. : to overwhelm with wonder or bewilderment
b. dialect Britain : embarrass , perplex
boggled by his father's unexpected return
2. : to attend to in an awkward clumsy manner : bungle
boggling the little affairs of his own life — Paul de Kruif
Synonyms: see demur
II. noun
( -s )
1. : the action of boggling
2. archaic : a difficult, unpleasant, or bungled situation
III.
variant of bogle