disorient

verb

dis·​ori·​ent (ˌ)dis-ˈȯr-ē-ˌent 

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

: confuse

Synonyms

• confuse
• bewilder
• perplex
• baffle
• puzzle

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

In another case, an experienced hiker became disoriented from heat exhaustion and dehydration in Death Valley National Park in 2024. —Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 2025

The view through the camera is disorienting, a pixelated grayscale landscape. —Camila Domonoske, NPR, 7 July 2025

Lorde then disoriented her audience with 2021’s Solar Power, a warm sigh of an album from a star enjoying some well-deserved relaxation. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 June 2025

There are many misconceptions about immigrants in Los Angeles, but none more disorienting than the canard — so popular among Trump administration representatives — that those immigrants who arrived without papers somehow live apart from the rest of the city. —Jim Newton, Mercury News, 27 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1655, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for disorient

• misrepresent
• accent
• advent
• ascent
• assent
• augment
• cement
• consent
• dement
• descent
• detent
• dissent

Kids 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

—The Journal of the American Medical Association