disorient

verb

dis·​ori·​ent (ˌ)dis-ˈȯr-ē-ˌent How to pronounce disorient (audio)
disoriented; disorienting; disorients

transitive verb

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

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 One of the guest rooms contains an upholstered daybed by the British sculptor Rachel Whiteread that’s a disorienting blend of negative and positive shapes, with open shafts where the legs should be. Travis Diehl Dean Kaufman, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Anyone venturing outside in these conditions may easily become disoriented. Nicholas Merianos, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2024 The film has a sense of stylization that was unusual for low-budget films of the moment, creating a disorienting world of pink. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 With his low-key personality and his apparent immunity to braggadocio, Rono found the spotlight disorienting. Alex Williams, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024 This month, associate beauty editor Annie Blay digs into the experience of being an African woman in America and how the differing beauty standards between Africa and the West can create disorienting feelings about body image and cultural authenticity. Annie Blay, Allure, 22 Feb. 2024 The warm water disorients the dolphins, Claudia Sacramento, head of the Environmental Emergencies Division at the governmental Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, told The Washington Post at the time. Bryan Pietsch, Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2024 The fish appear disoriented as they are let go into the water, swimming aimlessly, often turning upside down. Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 15 Feb. 2024 The exchange was Kafkaesque in its mazy rate of progress, technical complexity, and disorienting tendency toward digression. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 14 Feb. 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.

Word History

Etymology

French désorienter, from dés- dis- + orienter to orient

First Known Use

1655, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of disorient was in 1655

Dictionary Entries Near disorient

Cite this Entry

“Disorient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disorient. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disorient

verb
dis·​ori·​ent (ˈ)dis-ˈōr-ē-ˌent How to pronounce disorient (audio)
-ˈȯr-
: to cause to be confused or lost

Medical Definition

disorient

transitive verb
dis·​ori·​ent (ˈ)dis-ˈōr-ē-ˌent, -ˈȯr- How to pronounce disorient (audio)
: to produce a state of disorientation in : disorientate
the next day the patient was disoriented but not comatoseJournal of the American Medical Association

More from Merriam-Webster on disorient

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