confound

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: con=found

CIDE DICTIONARY

confound, v. t. [F. confondre, fr. L. confundere, -fusum, to pour together; con- + fundere to pour. See Fuse to melt, and cf. Confuse.].

•  To mingle and blend, so that different elements can not be distinguished; to confuse.  [1913 Webster]

  "They who strip not ideas from the marks men use for them, but confound them with words, must have endless dispute."  [1913 Webster]

  "Let us go down, and there confound their language."  [1913 Webster]
•  To mistake for another; to identify falsely.  [1913 Webster]

  "They [the tinkers] were generally vagrants and pilferers, and were often confounded with the gypsies."  [1913 Webster]
•  To throw into confusion or disorder; to perplex; to strike with amazement; to dismay.  [1913 Webster]

  "The gods confound...
  The Athenians both within and out that wall."  [1913 Webster]

  "They trusted in thee and were not confounded."  [1913 Webster]

  "So spake the Son of God, and Satan stood
  A while as mute, confounded what to say."  [1913 Webster]
•  To destroy; to ruin; to waste.  [1913 Webster]

  "One man's lust these many lives confounds."  [1913 Webster]

  "How couldst thou in a mile confound an hour?"

Syn. -- To abash; confuse; baffle; dismay; astonish; defeat; terrify; mix; blend; intermingle. See Abash.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

confound, v. & int.
--v.tr.
1 throw into perplexity or confusion.
2 mix up; confuse (in one's mind).
3 archaic defeat, overthrow.
--int. expressing annoyance (confound you!).

Etymology

ME f. AF conf(o)undre, OF confondre f. L confundere mix up (as com-, fundere fus- pour)

THESAURUS

confound

abash, accurse, addle, adulterate, alloy, amaze, anathematize, answer, answer conclusively, appall, argue down, astonish, astound, awe, awestrike, baffle, balk, ball up, bamboozle, beat, bedaze, bedazzle, befog, bewilder, blaspheme, blast, blur, blur distinctions, boggle, bollix up, bowl down, bowl over, brave, break, bring to ruin, buffalo, canker, cap, cast down, chagrin, challenge, cheapen, checkmate, circumvent, coarsen, complicate, condemn, confound, confront, confuse, confute, consume, contaminate, contradict, contravene, controvert, corrupt, counter, counteract, countermand, counterwork, cross, crush, curse, damn, darn, dash, daze, dazzle, deal destruction, debase, debauch, decimate, defeat, defile, deflower, defy, degenerate, degrade, demolish, denature, deny, deprave, depredate, desecrate, desolate, despoil, destroy, devalue, devastate, devour, discomfit, discompose, disconcert, disconfirm, discountenance, dish, dismay, dismiss, dispose of, disrupt, dissolve, distort, dumbfound, dumbfounder, elude, embarrass, embrangle, engorge, entangle, evert, excommunicate, execrate, faze, finish, flabbergast, floor, flummox, foil, foul up, frustrate, fuddle, fulminate against, fumble, garble, get, gobble, gobble up, gut, gut with fire, havoc, hex, implicate, imprecate, incinerate, infect, involve, jumble, jumble together, keep in suspense, knock the chocks, knot, lay in ruins, lay waste, lick, louse up, maze, mess up, misdeem, misidentify, misuse, mix, mix up, mortify, muck up, muddle, mystify, nonplus, overlook distinctions, overthrow, overturn, overwhelm, panic, paralyze, parry, perplex, pervert, petrify, pi, play hob with, poison, pollute, pose, prostitute, put out, put to flight, put to rout, put to silence, puzzle, ramify, rattle, ravage, ravel, ravish, rebut, reduce to silence, refute, riffle, rout, ruin, ruinate, sabotage, scatter, scotch, scramble, screw up, settle, shipwreck, shuffle, shut up, silence, smash all opposition, snafu, snarl, snarl up, spike, spoil, squash, squelch, stagger, stampede, startle, stick, stonewall, strike dead, strike dumb, strike with wonder, stumble, stump, stun, stupefy, subvert, surprise, swallow up, taint, take aback, tangle, throw, throw a whammy, throw into confusion, throw into disorder, thunder against, thwart, tumble, twist, ulcerate, undermine, unleash destruction, unleash the hurricane, upheave, upset, vandalize, vaporize, violate, vitiate, vulgarize, warp, waste, wrack, wreak havoc, wreck

ROGET THESAURUS

confound

Derangement

VB derange, disarrange, misarrange, displace, misplace, mislay, discompose, disorder, deorganize, discombobulate, disorganize, embroil, unsettle, disturb, confuse, trouble, perturb, jumble, tumble, shuffle, randomize, huddle, muddle, toss, hustle, fumble, riot, bring into disorder, put into disorder, throw into disorder, muss, break the ranks, disconcert, convulse, break in upon, unhinge, dislocate, put out of joint, throw out of gear, turn topsy-turvy, bedevil, complicate, involve, perplex, confound, imbrangle, embrangle, tangle, entangle, ravel, tousle, towzle, dishevel, ruffle, rumple, litter, scatter, mix, rearrange.

Success

VB succeed, be successful, gain one's end, gain one's ends, crown with success, gain a point, attain a point, carry a point, secure a point, win a point, win an object, get there, manage to, contrive to, accomplish, do wonders, work wonders, make a go of it, come off well, come off successful, come off with flying colors, make short work of, take by storm, carry by storm, bear away the bell, win one's wings, win one's spurs, win the battle, win the day, carry the day, gain the day, gain the prize, gain the palm, have the best of it, have it all one's own way, have the game in one's owns hands, have the ball at one's feet, have one on the hop, walk over the course, carry all before one, remain in possession of the field, score a success, speed, make progress, win one's way, make one's way, work one's way, find one's way, strive to some purpose, prosper, drive a roaring trade, make profit, reap the fruits, gather the fruits, reap the benefit of, reap the harvest, strike oil, gain a windfall, make one's fortune, get in the harvest, turn to good account, turn to account, triumph, be triumphant, gain a victory, obtain a victory, gain an advantage, chain victory to one's car, nail a coonskin to the wall, surmount a difficulty, overcome a difficulty, get over a difficulty, get over an obstacle, se tirer d'affaire, make head against, stem the torrent, stem the tide, stem the current, weather the storm, weather a point, turn a corner, keep one's head above water, tide over, master, get the better of, have the better of, gain the better of, gain the best of, gain the upper hand, gain the ascendancy, gain the whip hand, gain the start of, distance, surpass, defeat, conquer, vanquish, discomfit, euchre, overcome, overthrow, overpower, overmaster, overmatch, overset, override, overreach, outwit, outdo, outflank, outmaneuver, outgeneral, outvote, take the wind out of one's adversary's sails, beat, beat hollow, rout, lick, drub, floor, worst, put down, put to flight, put to the rout, put hors de combat, put out of court, silence, quell, nonsuit, checkmate, upset, confound, nonplus, stalemate, trump, baffle, circumvent, elude, trip up, trip up the heels of, drive into a corner, drive to the wall, run hard, put one's nose out of joint, settle, do for, break the neck of, break the back of, capsize, sink, shipwreck, drown, swamp, subdue, subjugate, reduce, make the enemy bite the dust, victimize, roll in the dust, trample under foot, put an extinguisher upon, answer, answer the purpose, avail, prevail, take effect, do, turn out well, work well, take, tell, bear fruit, hit it, hit the mark, hit the right nail on the head, nick it, turn up trumps, make a hit, find one's account in.

Destruction

VB be destroyed, perish, fall to the ground, tumble, topple, go to pieces, fall to pieces, break up, crumble to dust, go to the dogs, go to the wall, go to smash, go to shivers, go to wreck, go to pot, go to wrack and ruin, go by the board, go all to smash, be all over, be all up, be all with, totter to its fall, destroy, do away with, make away with, nullify, annual, sacrifice, demolish, tear up, overturn, overthrow, overwhelm, upset, subvert, put an end to, seal the doom of, do in, do for, dish, undo, break up, cut up, break down, cut down, pull down, mow down, blow down, beat down, suppress, quash, put down, do a job on, cut short, take off, blot out, dispel, dissipate, dissolve, consume, smash, crash, quell, squash, squelch, crumple up, shatter, shiver, batter to pieces, tear to pieces, crush to pieces, cut to pieces, shake to pieces, pull to pieces, pick to pieces, laniate, nip, tear to rags, tear to tatters, crush to atoms, knock to atoms, ruin, strike out, throw over, knock down over, fell, sink, swamp, scuttle, wreck, shipwreck, engulf, ingulf, submerge, lay in ashes, lay in ruins, sweep away, erase, wipe out, expunge, raze, level with the dust, level with the ground, waste, atomize, vaporize, deal destruction, desolate, devastate, lay waste, ravage gut, disorganize, dismantle, devour, swallow up, sap, mine, blast, bomb, blow to smithereens, drop the big one, confound, exterminate, extinguish, quench, annihilate, snuff out, put out, stamp out, trample out, lay in the dust, trample in the dust, prostrate, tread under foot, crush under foot, trample under foot, lay the ax to the root of, make short work of, make clean sweep of, make mincemeat of, cut up root and branch, chop into pieces, cut into ribbons, fling to the winds, scatter to the winds, throw overboard, strike at the root of, sap the foundations of, spring a mine, blow up, ravage with fire and sword, cast to the dogs, eradicate.

Wonder

VB wonder, marvel, admire, be surprised, start, stare, open one's eyes, rub one's eyes, turn up one's eyes, gloar, gape, open one's mouth, hold one's breath, look aghast, stand aghast, stand agog, look blank, tombe des nues, not believe one's eyes, not believe one's ears, not believe one's senses, not be able to account for, not know whether one stands on one's head or one's, surprise, astonish, amaze, astound, dumfound, dumfounder, startle, dazzle, daze, strike, strike with wonder, strike with awe, electrify, stun, stupefy, petrify, confound, bewilder, flabbergast, stagger, throw on one's beam ends, fascinate, turn the head, take away one's breath, strike dumb, make one's hair stand on end, make one's tongue cleave to the roof of one's mout, make one stare, take by surprise, be wonderful, beggar description, beggar the imagination, baffle description, stagger belief.

Indiscrimination

VB not discriminate, overlook a distinction, confound, confuse.

Uncertainty

VB be uncertain, wonder whether, lose the clue, lose the clew, scent, miss one's way, not know what to make of, not know which way to turn, not know whether one stands on one s head or one's, float in a sea of doubt, hesitate, flounder, lose oneself, lose one's head, muddle one's brains, render uncertain, put out, pose, puzzle, perplex, embarrass, confuse, confound, bewilder, bother, molder, addle the wits, throw off the scent, ambiguas in vulgus spargere voces, keep in suspense, doubt, hang in the balance, tremble in the balance, depend.

Confutation

VB confute, refute, disprove, parry, negative, controvert, rebut, confound, disconfirm, redargue, expose, show the fallacy of, defeat, demolish, break, overthrow, overturn scatter to the winds, explode, invalidate, silence, put to silence, reduce to silence, clinch an argument, clinch a question, give one a setdown, stop the mouth, shut up, have, have on the hip, not leave a leg to stand on, cut the ground from under one's feet, be confuted, fail, expose one's weak point, show one's weak point, counter evidence.