V2 Vocabulary Building Dictionary
confound
verb
Definition: 1. to confuse someone; 2. to prove something to be incorrect; 3. to damn or curse something or someone; 4. to confuse or mistake two or more things as being similar
Synonyms: perplex, confuse, baffle, bewilder, befuddle, mystify, disprove, refute, damn, curse, mix up
Antonyms: clarify, simplify
Tips: Confound is derived from the Latin com-, "together" with fundere, "to pour." Think of pouring various ingredients together to create a completely mixed up recipe. The general idea of confound is to confuse things by mixing things up. One often hears, "to further confound the situation," meaning "to confuse and frustrate it." A person is confounded when unable to explain or deal with a situation. The adjective confounded is also used to describe something that is confusing or perplexing--confounding. You can also use the word confound to forcefully curse something or someone: "Counfound this incessant noise!" In this case, it's an expression of anger or frustration with the thing or person that is being cursed.
Usage Examples:
He confounded his doctor's prognosis by living with lung cancer for 10 years, when he was originally given less than six months to live. (disproved, refuted)
John's boss confounded him with perplexing questions he wasn't prepared to answer. (perplexed, bewildered)
I hadn’t seen my high school classmate in years, and I was momentarily confounded by how different she looked now. (baffled, bewildered) adjective
Nobody could follow his confounded directions, so we all got lost. (confusing, convoluted) adjective
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