disorient

verb

dis·ori·ent | \ (ˌ)dis-ˈȯr-ē-ˌent

disoriented; disorienting; disorients

Definition of disorient

transitive verb

1a : 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 on the Web

Practitioners of other religions may be respected as good people, but sustained curiosity about their beliefs and rituals can be disorienting to many believers. — Gordon Mehler, WSJ, "Common Ground for a Wiccan and a Rabbi?," 1 Nov. 2018 Trying to escape while the aircraft is spinning in the water is a sure way to disorient yourself and minimize your chance of survival. — Eric Adams, WIRED, "Inside the Safety Issues Surrounding the NY Helicopter Crash," 8 Apr. 2018 Talking to these men is disorienting, an exercise in double vision — the images don’t align. — Peter Rowe, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Echo Yard, where normal prison rules no longer apply," 8 Apr. 2018 Déraciné’s story is purposefully disjointed and occasionally disorienting, regularly jumping back and forth in time. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, "Déraciné is a short, somber VR story from the creators of Dark Souls," 6 Nov. 2018 So begins the boy’s disorienting confinement in a story that is as spine-tingling as it is well written. — Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, "Children’s Books: Freakiness and Fortitude," 19 July 2018 Groggy and disoriented, Mave staggered to her feet and bound up the stump of her left arm with some cloth. — Nick Turse, Teen Vogue, "The Democratic Republic of Congo Has Humanitarian Crises Leaving Millions of Children In Danger," 14 Nov. 2018 Hoz described the sewage pipe system as a disorienting labyrinth. — Katherine Lam, Fox News, "Boy, 13, found alive after falling into Los Angeles drainage ditch 'maze'," 2 Oct. 2018 At first, all these Scorpio vibes may feel a bit disorienting, but don’t fret. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "What October's Gemini Horoscope Means for You," 30 Sep. 2018

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.

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Last Updated

5 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for disorient

The first known use of disorient was in 1655

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More Definitions for disorient

disorient

verb

English Language Learners Definition of disorient

: to make (someone) lost or confused

See the full definition for disorient in the English Language Learners Dictionary

disorient

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