Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To throw into a state of confusion. synonym: befuddle.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- verb to cause to be confused; confuse emotionally.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb transitive, humorous To
throw into astate ofconfusion ; tobefuddle orperplex .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly
- verb cause to be confused emotionally
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word discombobulate.
Examples
-
Years ago, while living in California, I heard the word "discombobulate'" and have been using it ever since, when in a state of chaos.
Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph Hubert van den Bergh 2012
-
Years ago, while living in California, I heard the word "discombobulate'" and have been using it ever since, when in a state of chaos.
Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph Hubert van den Bergh 2012
-
Camara joked that he did not know what the word "discombobulate" meant.
NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - Tennessee vs. Kentucky 2002
-
LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Ticker) -- Tennessee's Ron Slay vowed to "discombobulate" Kentucky, but the Volunteers could not slow down the Wildcats 'express.
NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - Tennessee vs. Kentucky 2002
-
Kim was given the secret task of artfully slipping the tongue-twisting word 'discombobulate' into conversations with each of the camp mates without any of them twigging there was anything awry.
unknown title 2009
-
The term comes from "discombobulate", which means to confuse or frustrate, and Google.
Muti 2008
-
'discombobulate' into separate conversations with each of the other celebrities without them suspecting that she was up to something.
-
'discombobulate' into separate conversations with each of the other celebrities without them suspecting that she was up to something.
-
Far more than sex, it's the teeth brushing, the peeing, the tiny intimacies that discombobulate me.
-
Running off to the race track -- on their wedding day, no less -- is sure to discombobulate him.
Michael Giltz: Theater Reviews: "Nixon In China!" Olympia Dukakis On A Milkcart! Bloody Ethan Hawke! More! Michael Giltz 2011
isteratter commented on the word discombobulate
A funny-sounding word, usually used lightheartedly, but which I use to describe a upsetting and frightening inability to think.
December 20, 2007
omnidopp commented on the word discombobulate
but if you want to undiscombobulate, combobulating doesn't seem to be an option...
March 21, 2008
beecher commented on the word discombobulate
Great word. I just discovered this site and I love it. Check out -
http://www.walkinthewords.blogspot.com
for more fun word stuff
April 19, 2008
Silly.Girl02 commented on the word discombobulate
i seriously never thought this was a word til a friend of mine used it, and i laughed really hard
January 2, 2011
alexz commented on the word discombobulate
A previous co worker liked to use this word in 2011. Looking this up in Google books, this goes back to 1871 http://goo.gl/riNOS 'Going on a mission' by Paul Cobden
January 4, 2013
bilby commented on the word discombobulate
I find this kind of word almost unusable. In a serious context it's too ridiculous. Flip the coin and in a light-hearted context it smacks of trying-too-hard-ness.
January 4, 2013
ry commented on the word discombobulate
I can attest to its use in professional and semi-professional settings to refer to automotive, computer, and other equipment in which something is munged, borked, banjaxed or otherwise bollixed. In fact I'm adding it to my situation-normal list.
January 4, 2013
yarb commented on the word discombobulate
I can't imagine using it professionally, but I use it quite a lot at home.
I did use paramour today in an official report.
January 4, 2013
benjamenalford commented on the word discombobulate
while I you wait on your weight
try not to discombobulate
January 6, 2015