confounded
Americanadjective
-
damned (used euphemistically).
That is a confounded lie.
- Synonyms:
- objectionable, execrable, damnable
adjective
-
bewildered; confused
-
informal (prenominal) execrable; damned
Other Word Forms
- confoundedly adverb
- confoundedness noun
- unconfoundedly adverb
Etymology
Origin of confounded
Explanation
When you're confounded, you are confused. A confounded student might struggle with one question on a math test for twenty minutes. If a bird flies into your house through an open window and flaps around in a befuddled panic, it's confounded. A confounded taxi driver might take you in circles around your destination, and a confounded American might find himself unable to communicate with French waiters in Paris. Another, more British way to use the adjective confounded is as a mild oath, to emphasize annoyance: "I can't take any more of your confounded noise!"
Vocabulary lists containing confounded
In a Pickle: Words for When You're in Trouble
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The Crucible
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act III
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Buchalter is a bit confounded by the sluggishness of Nvidia’s stock recently, as software stocks have slumped.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026
The 32nd seed was on the cusp of victory on Kia Arena when he sent down the serve, which confounded Schoolkate who hit his sliced return long.
From Barron's • Jan. 18, 2026
“Medicine Show” was a record that either confounded or delighted fans of “alternative music” back in the early ’80s.
From Salon • Dec. 9, 2025
Pritchett called Naipaul—would probably have been confounded by the InterContinental Hotel in Kabul.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025
After a long piece of his intestine was removed, Dad confounded everybody by going back to work in a month.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
