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Disorient: meaning, definitions and examples

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disorient

 

[ dɪsˈɔːrɪənt ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

feeling

To cause someone to lose their sense of direction or position; to confuse or disconcert.

Synonyms

bewilder, confuse, daze

Examples of usage

  • He was disoriented by the sudden change in lighting.
  • The loud noise disoriented the animal.
Context #2 | Verb

mental state

To cause someone to feel confused or lost in their thoughts.

Synonyms

fluster, perplex, unsettle

Examples of usage

  • The complex instructions disoriented the students.
  • The shocking news disoriented him for a moment.

Translations

Translations of the word "disorient" in other languages:

🇵🇹 desorientar

🇮🇳 भ्रमित करना

🇩🇪 desorientieren

🇮🇩 membingungkan

🇺🇦 дезорієнтувати

🇵🇱 dezorientować

🇯🇵 混乱させる

🇫🇷 désorienter

🇪🇸 desorientar

🇹🇷 şaşırtmak

🇰🇷 혼란스럽게 하다

🇸🇦 تشويش

🇨🇿 dezorientovat

🇸🇰 dezorientovať

🇨🇳 使迷惑

🇸🇮 dezorientirati

🇮🇸 rugla

🇰🇿 адастыру

🇬🇪 დაბნევა

🇦🇿 çaşdırmaq

🇲🇽 desorientar

Etymology

The word 'disorient' originated from the prefix 'dis-' meaning 'apart' or 'away', and the word 'orient' which comes from the Latin 'orientare' meaning 'to arrange or direct towards the east'. The concept of being disoriented implies a loss of direction or sense of order, leading to confusion or disconcertion.

See also: disorientation, disoriented, disorientedly, orient, oriental, orientation.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #39,112, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.