befuddle

[bih-fuhd-l]

See more synonyms for befuddle on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), be·fud·dled, be·fud·dling.

to confuse, as with glib statements or arguments: politicians befuddling the public with campaign promises.
to make stupidly drunk.

Origin of befuddle

First recorded in 1885–90; be- + fuddle

Related formsbe·fud·dler, nounbe·fud·dle·ment, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for befuddle on Thesaurus.com

1. perplex, bewilder, baffle, daze, muddle.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for befuddle

Contemporary Examples

I suspect this will buoy liberal spirits, but anger the right and befuddle the independents.
Daily Beast Contributors Weigh In on Obama’s 2012 State of the Union Address
January 25, 2012

Historical Examples

It is a flat public loss, another attempt to befuddle our thinking.
A Preface to Politics
Walter Lippmann
He had been drinking alcolite; not enough to befuddle him—but enough to make him triumphantly talkative.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science April 1930
Various
Daniel Sands had no cosmic problems on his mind with which to befuddle young Perry.
In the Heart of a Fool
William Allen White
But when an artist tells them of recondite principles in æsthetics they accuse him of an endeavour to befuddle them.
Modern Painting, Its Tendency and Meaning
Willard Huntington Wright
He had been drinking alcolite; not enough to befuddle him, but enough to make him triumphantly talkative.
Brigands of the Moon
Ray Cummings

British Dictionary definitions for befuddle

befuddle

verb (tr)

to confuse, muddle, or perplex
to make stupid with drink

Derived Formsbefuddlement, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for befuddle

v.

"confuse," 1873, from be- + fuddle; originally "to confuse with strong drink or opium" (by 1832). An earlier word in the same sense was begunk (1725). Related: Befuddled; befuddling.

befuddle

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}befuddle

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for befuddle

Contemporary Examples

I suspect this will buoy liberal spirits, but anger the right and befuddle the independents.

Historical Examples

It is a flat public loss, another attempt to befuddle our thinking.

He had been drinking alcolite; not enough to befuddle him—but enough to make him triumphantly talkative.

Daniel Sands had no cosmic problems on his mind with which to befuddle young Perry.

But when an artist tells them of recondite principles in æsthetics they accuse him of an endeavour to befuddle them.

He had been drinking alcolite; not enough to befuddle him, but enough to make him triumphantly talkative.

befuddle

Word Origin and History for befuddle

v.

Origin of befuddle