befuddle

English

Etymology

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der.
Proto-Indo-European *h₁épsder.
Proto-Indo-European *h₁épider.
Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi
Proto-Germanic *bider.
Proto-Germanic *bi-
Proto-West Germanic *bi-
Old English be-
Middle English bi-
English be-
English fuddle
English befuddle

    From be- + fuddle.

    Pronunciation

    • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /bɪˈfʌdl/
    • Audio (US):(file)
      Rhymes: -ʌdl

    Verb

    befuddle (third-person singular simple present befuddles, present participle befuddling, simple past and past participle befuddled)

    1. (transitive) To perplex, confuse (someone).
      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:confuse
      The explanation left him completely befuddled.
      • 1916, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Nightmare”, in Jungle Tales of Tarzan‎[1], A. C. McClurg:
        Slowly the ape-man picked out the meaning of the various combinations of letters on the printed page, and as he read, the little bugs, for as such he always thought of the letters, commenced to run about in a most confusing manner, blurring his vision and befuddling his thoughts.
    2. (transitive) To stupefy (someone), especially with alcohol.
      • 1983, Basile Kerblay, Modern Soviet Society, page 290:
        […] to the American and French alcoholics, who drink in order to get drunk and befuddle the brain

    Derived terms

    Translations

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