confounded

adjective

con·​found·​ed kən-ˈfau̇n-dəd How to pronounce confounded (audio)
(ˌ)kän-ˈfau̇n-,
ˈkän-ˌfau̇n-
1
2
: damned
I can't close this confounded window.
confoundedly adverb

Examples of confounded in a Sentence

I can't close this confounded window! that confounded dog chewed up my shoe
Recent Examples on the Web The displeasure of it gave way to absurdity, out of which emerged a mutual, confounded glee. Kent Russell, Harper's Magazine, 15 Sep. 2020 In Europe itself, Greece has so far confounded predictions by avoiding the kind of mass outbreaks that have claimed tens of thousands of lives in Italy, France, and Britain. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 May 2020 And with wild swings on Tuesday, the markets proved those predictions correct, a marker of how confounded investors appear as the covid-19 economic crisis takes a fuller form. Jacob Bogage, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Mar. 2020 The Germans are no less confounded than the Democrats. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 June 2019 Learn how to work the confounded thing at free Android smartphone workshops being held in South Florida, sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons. Doreen Christensen, Sun-Sentinel.com, 9 Mar. 2018 For decades, recovery stories like this confounded researchers, who characterized autism as a lifelong condition. Brendan Borrell, Slate Magazine, 22 Sep. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'confounded.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English confunded, confounded, from past participle of confounden "to confound"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of confounded was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near confounded

Cite this Entry

“Confounded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confounded. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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