- befuddle
- transitive verb Date: 1832 1. to muddle or stupefy with or as if with drink 2. confuse, perplex • befuddlement noun
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
befuddle
Look at other dictionaries:
Befuddle — Be*fud dle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Befuddled}] To becloud and confuse, as with liquor. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
befuddle — index confuse (bewilder), discompose, disorganize, disorient, disturb, muddle, obfuscate Burton s Leg … Law dictionary
befuddle — (v.) confuse, 1873, from BE (Cf. be ) + FUDDLE (Cf. fuddle). Originally to confuse with strong drink or opium (by 1832). An earlier word in the same sense was begunk (1725). Related: Befuddled; befuddling … Etymology dictionary
befuddle — fuddle, addle, muddle, *confuse Analogous words: bewilder, distract, confound, perplex (see PUZZLE): intoxicate, inebriate (see corresponding adjectives at DRUNK) Antonyms: clarify, clear … New Dictionary of Synonyms
befuddle — [v] confuse addle, baffle, ball up*, bewilder, bother, daze, disorient, distract, dumbfound, fluster, inebriate, intoxicate, make punchy*, mix up, muddle, puzzle, shake, stupefy, throw off*; concepts 7,19,42 Ant. clear up, explain … New thesaurus
befuddle — ► VERB ▪ muddle or confuse. DERIVATIVES befuddled adjective befuddlement noun … English terms dictionary
befuddle — [bē fud′ l, bifud′ l] vt. befuddled, befuddling 1. to fuddle or confuse (the mind, a person, etc.) 2. to stupefy with alcoholic liquor befuddlement n … English World dictionary
befuddle — verb /bɪˈfʌdl/ a) to perplex or confuse (someone) The explanation left him completely befuddled. b) to stupefy someone, especially with alcohol ... to the American and French alcoholics, who drink in order to get drunk and befuddle the brain … Wiktionary
befuddle — [[t]bɪfʌ̱d(ə)l[/t]] befuddles, befuddling, befuddled VERB If something befuddles you, it confuses your mind or thoughts. [V n] Randolph liked to befuddle his readers with at least one unfamiliar word per article. Syn: muddle Derived words:… … English dictionary
befuddle — befuddler, n. befuddlement, n. /bi fud l/, v.t., befuddled, befuddling. 1. to confuse, as with glib statements or arguments: politicians befuddling the public with campaign promises. 2. to make stupidly drunk. [1885 90; BE + FUDDLE] Syn. 1.… … Universalium
