disorient

dis·ori·ent

transitive verb \(ˌ)dis-ˈȯr-ē-ˌent\

Definition of DISORIENT

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

Examples of DISORIENT

1. Thick fog can disorient even an experienced hiker.
2. <troops disoriented by the sudden change in battle plans>

Origin of DISORIENT

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

First Known Use: 1655

Related to DISORIENT

Synonyms

addle, baffle, bamboozle, beat, befog, befuddle, bemuse, bewilder, buffalo, confound, discombobulate, confuse, flummox, fox, fuddle, get, gravel, maze, muddle, muddy, mystify, perplex, pose, puzzle, vex

Related Words

stick, stump, weird out; abash, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, mortify, nonplus, rattle; agitate, bother, chagrin, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distress, disturb, perturb, stun, unhinge, unsettle, upset; beguile, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fool, gull, hoax, hoodwink, humbug, misguide, mislead, snow, string along, take in, trick

Near Antonyms

assure, reassure, satisfy; enlighten, inform

Rhymes with DISORIENT

coincident, experiment, ferro-cement, glove compartment, inconsequent, informed consent, misrepresent, nonresident, oxygen tent, privatdozent, rubber cement, self-confident, self-evident, sentence fragment, vice president

dis·ori·ent

transitive verb \(ˈ)dis-ˈōr-ē-ˌent, -ˈȯr-\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of DISORIENT

: to produce a state of disorientation in : disorientate <the next day the patient was disoriented but not comatose—Journal of the American Medical Association>