befuddle

English

Etymology

be- +‎ fuddle

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɪˈfʌdl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

  Rhymes: -ʌdl

Verb

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

• befuddlement

Translations

perplex or confuse

• Bulgarian: обърквам (bg) (obǎrkvam)
• Czech: zmást
• Dutch: verbazen (nl), verwarren (nl)
• Finnish: hämmentää (fi), häkellyttää
• German: verwirren (de)
• Ido: konfundigar (io)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• 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
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: berauschen (de)
• Italian: ingarbugliare, annebbiare (it), istupidire
• Russian: одурманивать (ru) (odurmanivatʹ)