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befuddle

[ bih-fuhd-l ]
/ bɪˈfʌd l /
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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.

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RELATED WORDS

puzzlement, stupor, confusion, discombobulation, bewilderment, fog, stupefaction, perplexity, bafflement, obfuscation

Nearby words

before you know it, beforehand, beforetime, befoul, befriend, befuddle, beg, beg off, beg the question, beg to differ, beg, borrow, or steal

Origin of befuddle

First recorded in 1885–90; be- + fuddle
Related formsbe·fud·dler, nounbe·fud·dle·ment, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for befuddlement

British Dictionary definitions for befuddlement

befuddle

/ (bɪˈfʌdəl) /

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 befuddlement

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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper