discombobulate

[dis-kuhm-bob-yuh-leyt]

verb (used with object)

discombobulated, discombobulating 

1. Informal.,  to confuse or disconcert; confound; bewilder.

   The speaker was completely discombobulated by the hecklers.

   Synonyms: upset, perturb, disturb, agitate, nonplus, dumbfound, befuddle

discombobulate

/ ˌdɪskəmˈbɒbjʊˌleɪt /

verb

1. informal,  (tr) to throw into confusion

Other Word Forms

• discombobulation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of discombobulate¹

An Americanism first recorded in 1825–35; fanciful alteration of discompose or discomfort

Word History and Origins

Origin of discombobulate¹

C20: probably a whimsical alteration of _discompose or _discomfit

Example Sentences

Melissa Otto, head of research at S&P Global Visible Alpha, said if Google was forced to sell Chrome it would have “completely discombobulated their business model.”

From Los Angeles Times

In fact, they're all so discombobulated by this thing that some of them are making monumental political gaffes trying to deal with it.

From Salon

The Bowl made for a thrilling send-off for Fracchiolla — even if it was a discombobulating change.

From Los Angeles Times

That is far from a lonely ignorance, but no less discombobulating.

From BBC

This time, chart-topping albums and touring aren’t the discombobulating affair they were nearly 30 years ago, when their second album, “Dude Ranch,” went gold.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• befuddle 
• bewilder 
• confound 
• disconcert 
• fluster 

When To Use

Where does discombobulate come from?

Discombobulate, meaning "to confuse, frustrate," sounds like something straight out of a cartoon. It was first recorded in the form discomboberate in the early 1800s, and apparently originated as a humorous imitation of hifalutin-sounding Latin words. We can also detect  the influence of words with similar senses like discomfit or discompose in it.Many more amusing Americanisms await in our slideshow "These Wacky Words Originated In The USA."