disorient

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verb dis·ori·ent \ (ˌ)dis-ˈȯr-ē-ˌent \

Definition of disorient

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

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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 of disorient from the Web

Birds, disoriented by the sudden darkness, will return to roost.

— carol motsinger, Cincinnati.com, "8 questions about the upcoming solar eclipse you were afraid to ask," 16 Aug. 2017
Such ritziness can be disorienting in a city where nearly a quarter of the more than 600,000 residents live in poverty.

— david amsden, Smithsonian, "How Baltimore Quietly Became the East Coast’s Next Cool City," 31 July 2017
But Assistant Public Defender Elizabeth Ramsey said there is no proof that Peak was disoriented, and Peak easily could have stood in the water around the sinking car and walked out of the pond to safety.

— marc freeman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Delray man's murder trial to start in case of best friend's drowning," 5 July 2017
Powell may be disoriented and require medical attention, the release said.

— The Courier-Journal, "Silver Alert declared for missing New Albany woman," 3 July 2017
Additionally, the camera angles veered erratically between perspectives, making the viewing experience disorienting to say the least.

— cady lang, Time, "Here Are the Best and the Worst Moments From the 2017 BET Awards," 26 June 2017
Seemingly simple tasks such as sleeping, eating, and bathroom time can initially feel overwhelming in environments that disorient the senses.

— NBC News, "How Space Travel Affects Our Health," 19 June 2017
But the handoff between Obama and Trump has been particularly disorienting, given their polar opposite views of the world and rhetorical means of expressing it.

— david nakamura, Washington Post, "‘A dagger in my heart’: Obama alums struggle to adjust to a Trumpian world," 16 June 2017
As for the musical composition of Witness, the disorienting sound effects laced throughout the album hold to these themes.

— da'shan smith, Billboard, "Katy Perry's 'Witness' Fails as 'Purposeful Pop,' But Succeeds as Future Pop," 13 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disorient.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of disorient

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1655

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disorient Synonyms

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

DISORIENT Defined for English Language Learners

disorient

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verb

Definition of disorient for English Language Learners

: to make (someone) lost or confused

Medical Dictionary

disorient

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transitive verb dis·ori·ent \ (ˈ)dis-ˈōr-ē-ˌent, -ˈȯr- \

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

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Origin and Etymology of disorient

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Related Words

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DISORIENT Defined for English Language Learners

disorient

Definition of disorient for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

disorient

medical Definition of disorient

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