BEDEVIL

confuse, throw, fox, befuddle, fuddle, bedevil, confound, discombobulate

(verb) be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly; “These questions confuse even the experts”; “This question completely threw me”; “This question befuddled even the teacher”

torment, rag, bedevil, crucify, dun, frustrate

(verb) treat cruelly; “The children tormented the stuttering teacher”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Verb

bedevil (third-person singular simple present bedevils, present participle bedevilling or bedeviling, simple past and past participle bedevilled or bedeviled)

To harass or cause trouble for; to plague.

To perplex or bewilder.

Usage notes

• The spellings bedeviling and bedeviled are preferred in the US, while bedevilling and bedevilled are preferred in the UK. However, the choice of spellings is not universal.

Anagrams

• b'lieved, believ'd, beviled

Source: Wiktionary

Be*dev"il, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bedevilled (p. pr. & vb. n. Bedeviling or Bedevilling.]

1. To throw into utter disorder and confusion, as if by the agency of evil spirits; to bring under diabolical influence; to torment. Bedeviled and used worse than St. Bartholomew. Sterne.

2. To spoil; to corrupt. Wright.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition