befuddle


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be·fud·dle

 (bĭ-fŭd′l)
tr.v. be·fud·dled, be·fud·dling, be·fud·dles
1. To cause (someone) to be unable to think clearly; confuse:
2. To stupefy with alcohol; intoxicate.
Synonyms: befuddle, addle, discombobulate, fuddle, muddle
These verbs mean to cause to be unclear in mind or intent: a difficult question that befuddled the authorities; problems that addle my brain; was discombobulated by all of the choices; a complex plot line that fuddled my comprehension; a student who was muddled by endless facts and figures.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

befuddle

(bɪˈfʌdəl)
vb (tr)
1. to confuse, muddle, or perplex
2. to make stupid with drink
beˈfuddlement n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

be•fud•dle

(bɪˈfʌd l)

v.t. -dled, -dling.
1. to confuse, as with glib statements or arguments.
2. to make muddled or stupidly drunk.
[1885–90; be- + fuddle]
be•fud′dle•ment, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

befuddle


Past participle: befuddled
Gerund: befuddling

Imperative
befuddle
befuddle
Present
I befuddle
you befuddle
he/she/it befuddles
we befuddle
you befuddle
they befuddle
Preterite
I befuddled
you befuddled
he/she/it befuddled
we befuddled
you befuddled
they befuddled
Present Continuous
I am befuddling
you are befuddling
he/she/it is befuddling
we are befuddling
you are befuddling
they are befuddling
Present Perfect
I have befuddled
you have befuddled
he/she/it has befuddled
we have befuddled
you have befuddled
they have befuddled
Past Continuous
I was befuddling
you were befuddling
he/she/it was befuddling
we were befuddling
you were befuddling
they were befuddling
Past Perfect
I had befuddled
you had befuddled
he/she/it had befuddled
we had befuddled
you had befuddled
they had befuddled
Future
I will befuddle
you will befuddle
he/she/it will befuddle
we will befuddle
you will befuddle
they will befuddle
Future Perfect
I will have befuddled
you will have befuddled
he/she/it will have befuddled
we will have befuddled
you will have befuddled
they will have befuddled
Future Continuous
I will be befuddling
you will be befuddling
he/she/it will be befuddling
we will be befuddling
you will be befuddling
they will be befuddling
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been befuddling
you have been befuddling
he/she/it has been befuddling
we have been befuddling
you have been befuddling
they have been befuddling
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been befuddling
you will have been befuddling
he/she/it will have been befuddling
we will have been befuddling
you will have been befuddling
they will have been befuddling
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been befuddling
you had been befuddling
he/she/it had been befuddling
we had been befuddling
you had been befuddling
they had been befuddling
Conditional
I would befuddle
you would befuddle
he/she/it would befuddle
we would befuddle
you would befuddle
they would befuddle
Past Conditional
I would have befuddled
you would have befuddled
he/she/it would have befuddled
we would have befuddled
you would have befuddled
they would have befuddled
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Verb1.befuddle - be confusing or perplexing tobefuddle - be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly; "These questions confuse even the experts"; "This question completely threw me"; "This question befuddled even the teacher"
demoralize - confuse or put into disorder; "the boss's behavior demoralized everyone in the office"
bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, baffle, mystify, nonplus, perplex, puzzle, stupefy, amaze, gravel, vex, pose, stick, beat, get - be a mystery or bewildering to; "This beats me!"; "Got me--I don't know the answer!"; "a vexing problem"; "This question really stuck me"
disconcert, flurry, confuse, put off - cause to feel embarrassment; "The constant attention of the young man confused her"
disorient, disorientate - cause to be lost or disoriented
be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer"
2.befuddle - make stupid with alcoholbefuddle - make stupid with alcohol    
inebriate, intoxicate, soak - make drunk (with alcoholic drinks)
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

befuddle

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

befuddle

verb
1. To cause to be unclear in mind or intent:
Informal: throw.
Idiom: make one's head reel.
2. To muddle or stupefy with or as if with alcoholic drink:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
zmást
huumatapäihdyttää

befuddle

[bɪˈfʌdl] VT (= confuse) → atontar, confundir; (= make tipsy) → atontar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

befuddle

[bɪˈfʌdəl] vt (= confuse) → brouiller les idées de
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

befuddle

vt
(= make tipsy)benebeln
(= confuse)durcheinanderbringen; he is rather befuddleder ist ziemlich durcheinander (inf)or verwirrt
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
References in periodicals archive ?
The idea is to tell the viewer that the appreciation of art is an unforced process, and any effort to make it otherwise befuddles, or can befuddle, the viewer's mind.
Morado said they have prepared not to rely much on their usual starters and that was in display on Saturday when seldom-used rookie Jules Samonte took over Maraguinot's role to befuddle the Lady Spikers.
Yep, he's back but T5 is a film likely to alienate fans of the long-running series that began in 1984 with The Terminator, and befuddle everyone else.
Book contributors were encouraged to work from their lecture notes and to limit footnote references, which can often sidetrack and befuddle the student reader.