Razzle
/ˈræz.əl/noun
To bewilder, dazzle, or impress with showy excitement; also, lively display or flashy excitement.
Did you know?Razzle is a clipped, expressive word from English slang, and it later helped form the famous phrase “razzle-dazzle,” a term for showy, distracting spectacle rather than a true ancient spell-word.
Etymological Timeline
Late 19th Century
English
razzle
“Slang for lively, flashy, or confusing showiness.”
Late 19th Century
English
razzle-dazzle
“Showy display meant to impress or confuse.”
Earlier 19th Century
English
dazzle
“To blind or bewilder with brightness.”
Middle English
English
dasen
“To become dazed or stupefied.”
Old English
English
dæsian
“To make senseless or benumb.”