Word
befuddle
Phoneticsbe·fud·dle
US/bɪˈfədəɫ/
UK/bɪfˈʌdəl/
Definition
v. to make someone feel very confused or unable to think clearly. You use this when something is so complicated or strange that your brain stops working properly.
v. to confuse or perplex someone thoroughly. Often describes the effect of complex information, contradictory signals, or intoxication on a person's cognitive clarity.
Examples
“The complicated instructions befuddle me every time.”
“The new tax laws are so complex that they even befuddle the accountants who are supposed to explain them.”
“The witness's contradictory testimony seemed designed to befuddle the jury, leading the judge to request a clearer timeline of the evening's events.”
Examples
simple
“The complicated instructions befuddle me every time.”
contextual
“The new tax laws are so complex that they even befuddle the accountants who are supposed to explain them.”
complex
“The witness's contradictory testimony seemed designed to befuddle the jury, leading the judge to request a clearer timeline of the evening's events.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object, typically a person or their mind.
Real-World Examples
“From there the American grew bolder, befuddling his opponent with slippery lateral movement, planting his feet when he chose while out-throwing and out-landing the defending champion.” “As if excess salt, fat and several types of sugar weren’t bad enough, the ingredient lists of much ultra-processed food often end with a befuddling number of additives.” “But beyond its vast scope and sui generis nature, there are other reasons the pandemic continues to be so befuddling—a slew of forces scientific and societal, epidemiological and epistemological.” “I was completely bemused and befuddled to find myself trapped in my flat, tending to the needs of a small, speechless human.” Etymology
From be- + fuddle, 19th century. The prefix intensifies; the root is from fuddle, to muddle with drink.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/befuddle