confound

con·found

verb \kən-ˈfau̇nd, kän-\

Definition of CONFOUND

transitive verb

1

a archaic : to bring to ruin : destroy b : baffle, frustrate <conferences … are not for accomplishment but to confound knavish tricks — J. K. Galbraith>

2

obsolete : consume, waste

3

a : to put to shame : discomfit <a performance that confounded the critics> b : refute <sought to confound his arguments>

4

: damn

5

: to throw (a person) into confusion or perplexity

6

a : to fail to discern differences between : mix up b : to increase the confusion of

— con·found·er \-ˈfau̇n-dər\ noun

— con·found·ing·ly \-diŋ-lē\ adverb

Examples of CONFOUND

1. The strategy confounded our opponents.
2. The murder case has confounded investigators.
3. The school's team confounded all predictions and won the game.
4. The success of the show confounded critics.

Origin of CONFOUND

Middle English, from Anglo-French confundre, from Latin confundere to pour together, confuse, from com- + fundere to pour — more at found

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to CONFOUND

Synonyms: addle, baffle, bamboozle, beat, befog, befuddle, bemuse, bewilder, buffalo, confuse, discombobulate, disorient, flummox, fox, fuddle, get, gravel, maze, muddle, muddy, mystify, perplex, pose, puzzle, vex

Antonyms: difference, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, separate

Related Words: stick, stump, weird out; abash, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, mortify, nonplus, rattle; agitate, bother, chagrin, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distress, disturb, perturb, stun, unhinge, unsettle, upset; beguile, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fool, gull, hoax, hoodwink, humbug, misguide, mislead, snow, string along, take in, trick

Near Antonyms: assure, reassure, satisfy; enlighten, inform

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with CONFOUND

abound, aground, around, astound, background, bloodhound, boozehound, brassbound, break ground, campground, chowhound, clothbound, come round, compound, coonhound, deerhound, deskbound, dumbfound, earthbound, eastbound, elkhound, expound, fairground, fogbound, foot-pound, foreground, foxhound, gain ground, go-round, greyhound, half-bound, hardbound, hellhound, hidebound, high ground, homebound, horehound, housebound, icebound, impound, inbound, ironbound, lose ground, newfound, newshound, northbound, outbound, playground, pot-bound, profound, propound, rebound, redound, renowned, resound, rockbound, rock hound, scent hound, sight hound, sleuthhound, smooth hound, snowbound, softbound, southbound, spellbound, staghound, stone-ground, stormbound, strikebound, surround, to ground, top round, unbound, unround, unsound, well-found, westbound, wolfhound, year-round