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.
“So are people that have been obsessing on modern art and modernism all their lives — they’re gonna be confounded by it.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
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
He might eventually return to the spot where he had started, and would of course be utterly confounded to explain how that had happened.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
