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confound

verb
con·​found | \ kÉ™n-ˈfau̇nd How to pronounce confound (audio) , kän-\
confounded; confounding; confounds

Definition of confound

transitive verb

1 : to throw (a person) into confusion or perplexity tactics to confound the enemy
2a : refute sought to confound his arguments
b : to put to shame : discomfit a performance that confounded the critics
3 : damn
4a : to fail to discern differences between : mix up They implored Charles not to confound the innocent with the guilty …— T. B. Macaulay
b : to increase the confusion of
5a : baffle, frustrate Conferences … are not for accomplishment but to confound knavish tricks.— John Kenneth Galbraith
b archaic : to bring to ruin : destroy
6 obsolete : consume, waste
Other Words from confound Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about confound

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Other Words from confound

confounder \ kÉ™n-​ˈfau̇n-​dÉ™r How to pronounce confounder (audio) , kän-​ \ noun
confoundingly \ kÉ™n-​ˈfau̇n-​diÅ‹-​lÄ“ How to pronounce confoundingly (audio) , kän-​ \ adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for confound

puzzle, perplex, bewilder, distract, nonplus, confound, dumbfound mean to baffle and disturb mentally. puzzle implies existence of a problem difficult to solve. the persistent fever puzzled the doctor perplex adds a suggestion of worry and uncertainty especially about making a necessary decision. a behavior that perplexed her friends bewilder stresses a confusion of mind that hampers clear and decisive thinking. a bewildering number of possibilities distract implies agitation or uncertainty induced by conflicting preoccupations or interests. distracted by personal problems nonplus implies a bafflement that makes orderly planning or deciding impossible. the remark left us utterly nonplussed confound implies temporary mental paralysis caused by astonishment or profound abasement. the tragic news confounded us all dumbfound suggests intense but momentary confounding; often the idea of astonishment is so stressed that it becomes a near synonym of astound. was at first too dumbfounded to reply

Examples of confound in a Sentence

The strategy confounded our opponents. The murder case has confounded investigators. The school's team confounded all predictions and won the game. The success of the show confounded critics.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Why the city sets aside so much of its land for golfing while our teachers, nurses and firefighters can’t afford to live here is confounding. — Heather Knight, SFChronicle.com, "We found quirky, beautiful and historic sights along 49 Mile Scenic Drive. And plenty of duds, too," 7 Sep. 2019 At the same time, a favorable court ruling for supporters could confound debate over the ballot measure. — Rob Davis | The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, "Campaign money limits in 2020? Oregon Supreme Court leaves possibility open," 5 Sep. 2019 The messiness of the timelines and the logistical details of the tenuous cellular connection between Jack and Ashley often are confounding, despite efforts to clarify the days and weeks that separate them. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Review: Time-warped ‘Don’t Let Go’ is too convoluted for its own good," 30 Aug. 2019 Linda DEAR LINDA: People behave in all sorts of confounding ways. — Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, "Ask Amy: He says I’m teaching our kids to be wussies," 10 June 2019 Researchers performing meta-analyses go to untold lengths trying to clean up the hodgepodge of data to control for these confounding factors. — Quanta Magazine, "Wanted: More Data, the Dirtier the Better," 6 June 2017 At least 127 people in 15 states have fallen seriously ill with lung damage and difficulty breathing, confounding doctors struggling to diagnose and treat these patients. — Erika Edwards, NBC News, "Cases of mysterious vaping-related illnesses rise to at least 127," 20 Aug. 2019 Welcome to the awkward phase, where growing up is a temporal minefield navigating friendships, relationships, parents and bullies, all while enduring an onslaught of new and confounding information, social pressures and hormones. — Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, "‘Good Boys’ hilariously captures sweet, sour middle school moments," 16 Aug. 2019 The play offered a hint of the multifaceted threat who will confound defenses come September. — Childs Walker, baltimoresun.com, "Five Things We Learned from the Ravens’ 26-13 preseason win over the Green Bay Packers," 16 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'confound.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of confound

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5b

History and Etymology for confound

Middle English confounden "to defeat, destroy, frustrate, bewilder," borrowed from Anglo-French confondre, going back to Latin confundere "to pour together, blend, bring into disorder, destroy, disconcert," from con- con- +fundere "to pour, shed" — more at found entry 5

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More Definitions for confound

confound

verb
How to pronounce confound (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of confound

: to surprise and confuse (someone or something)
: to prove (someone or something) wrong
informal + old-fashioned —used as an interjection to express anger or annoyance

See the full definition for confound in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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