disorient
verb
dis·ori·ent
(ˌ)dis-ˈȯr-ē-ˌent 
disoriented; disorienting; disorients
1
a
: to cause to lose bearings : displace from normal position or relationship
b
: to cause to lose the sense of time, place, or identity
2
: confuse
Synonyms
Examples of disorient in a Sentence
Thick fog can disorient even an experienced hiker.
troops disoriented by the sudden change in battle plans
Recent Examples on the Web
From its unique, disorienting point of view, the program revised our thinking about the universe, philosophically and scientifically.
—
Rebecca Boyle, Discover Magazine, 23 Apr. 2024
The dot-com boom was a disorienting period for longtime Valley leaders whose interest in money was muted.
—David Streitfeld, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
And the thick, uncomfortably hard goose-feather pillow beneath the wife’s head, which made her neck ache—this, too, was disorienting.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Experts warn that growing AI technology will only make these disorienting scenarios worse.
—Faith Karimi, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024
Brous is too progressive for some, especially in a disorienting age of recrimination and divisive outrage.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Bruce Frankel claims he was injured when the officer restrained him while he was disoriented after the seizure.
—Cameron MacDonald, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
Then, when the sunlight re-appeared, the bees seemed disoriented, according to a paper published in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America after the 2017 eclipse.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Despite the team appearing disoriented in various phases of the game, the return of one player to her peak performance provided reassurance to the fans: Delphine Cascarino!
—Assile Toufaily, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Rebecca Boyle, Discover Magazine, 23 Apr. 2024
The dot-com boom was a disorienting period for longtime Valley leaders whose interest in money was muted.
—David Streitfeld, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
And the thick, uncomfortably hard goose-feather pillow beneath the wife’s head, which made her neck ache—this, too, was disorienting.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Experts warn that growing AI technology will only make these disorienting scenarios worse.
—Faith Karimi, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024
Brous is too progressive for some, especially in a disorienting age of recrimination and divisive outrage.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Bruce Frankel claims he was injured when the officer restrained him while he was disoriented after the seizure.
—Cameron MacDonald, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
Then, when the sunlight re-appeared, the bees seemed disoriented, according to a paper published in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America after the 2017 eclipse.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Despite the team appearing disoriented in various phases of the game, the return of one player to her peak performance provided reassurance to the fans: Delphine Cascarino!
—Assile Toufaily, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disorient.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near disorient
Cite this Entry
“Disorient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disorient. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
disorient
verb
dis·ori·ent
(ˈ)dis-ˈōr-ē-ˌent
-ˈȯr-
: to cause to be confused or lost
Medical Definition
disorient
transitive verb
dis·ori·ent
(ˈ)dis-ˈōr-ē-ˌent, -ˈȯr-
: to produce a state of disorientation in : disorientate
the next day the patient was disoriented but not comatose—Journal of the American Medical Association
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