befuddle

English

Etymology

From be- +‎ fuddle.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /bɪˈfʌdl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

  Rhymes: -ʌdl

Verb

befuddle (third-person singular simple present befuddles, present participle befuddling, simple past and past participle befuddled)

1. (transitive) To perplex, confuse (someone).

   The explanation left him completely befuddled.

2. (transitive) To stupefy (someone), especially with alcohol.
   • 1983, Basile Kerblay, Modern Soviet Society, page 290:

     ... to the American and French alcoholics, who drink in order to get drunk and befuddle the brain

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:confuse

Derived terms

• bedfuddled
• befuddlement
• befuddler
• befuddling
• confuddle

 

Translations

perplex or confuse

• Bulgarian: обърквам (bg) (obǎrkvam)
• Czech: zmást
• Dutch: verbazen (nl), verwarren (nl)
• Finnish: hämmentää (fi), häkellyttää
• French: brouiller (fr), confondre (fr), épater (fr)
• German: verwirren (de)
• Ido: konfundigar (io)
• Italian: confondere (it), sconcertare (it)
• Mandarin: 使困惑, 使迷惑
• Portuguese: confundir (pt)
• Russian: сбива́ть с толку (ru) (sbivátʹ s tolku)
• Spanish: confundir (es)
• Swedish: omtöckna (sv)

stupefy

• Bulgarian: опиянявам (bg) (opijanjavam)
• Czech: omráčit
• Dutch: verdwazen (nl), verdoven (nl)
• Finnish: huumata (fi), päihdyttää (fi)
• German: berauschen (de)
• Italian: ingarbugliare (it), annebbiare (it), istupidire (it)
• Russian: одурманивать (ru) (odurmanivatʹ)