confound

CEFRB2

/kənˈfaʊnd/

verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To confuse someone or make a problem difficult to understand.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    To fail to see the difference; to mix up; to confuse right and wrong.

Examples

  • When in doubt tell the truth. It will confound your enemies and astound your friends.

  • Don't confound the situation by yelling.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To stun or amaze.

  2. To perplex or puzzle.

  3. To combine in a confused fashion; to mingle so as to make the parts indistinguishable.

More examples

In context

  • His actions confounded the skeptics.

  • 1848 February 12, John Mitchel, The United Irishman, Letter to Lord Clarendon, I am now, in order the better to confound your politics, going to give you a true account of the means we intend to use, and of the rules, signs, and pass-words of our new United I...

  • Confound you!

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The magician's trick will blank the audience by making a coin disappear completely.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English confounden (“destroy, ruin, perplex”), from Anglo-Norman cunfundre and Old French confondre, from Latin cōnfundō (“to mingle, mix together”). Related to found (“to melt (metals in a foundry)”) (but not to found (“to start”), nor to find) and to fusion.