confound

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /kənˈfaʊnd/ UK /kənˈfaʊnd/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to confuse or to prove wrong

The results confounded the experts who had predicted failure.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to confuse or to prove wrong confuse bewilder baffle perplex mystify befuddle disprove

Opposites

clarify enlighten explain prove

Word family

Derived forms confoundedconfounderconfoundingconfoundedly

Related forms confuse confusion found

Simplified etymology

Confound entered English in the Middle English period and shares its origin with confuse. Both derive from Latin confundere, “mingle together” or “mix up,” the Latin source reaching English through French in the history of confuse.

Etymology

From Old French confondre ('to confound, defeat, ruin'), from Latin confundere ('to pour together, mix, confuse'), from con- ('together') + fundere ('to pour').

confondre Old French confundere Latin fundere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# confound

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /kənˈfaʊnd/
**IPA (UK):** /kənˈfaʊnd/

## Meanings
1. to confuse or to prove wrong

## Examples
- The results confounded the experts who had predicted failure.

## Synonyms
- confuse
- bewilder
- baffle
- perplex
- mystify
- befuddle
- disprove

## Antonyms
- clarify
- enlighten
- explain
- prove

## Derived Forms
- confounded
- confounder
- confounding
- confoundedly

## Related Forms
- confuse
- confusion
- found

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: confondre
- Root: confundere
- Root: fundere

## Etymology
From Old French confondre ('to confound, defeat, ruin'), from Latin confundere ('to pour together, mix, confuse'), from con- ('together') + fundere ('to pour').

## AI Etymology
Confound is from Old French confondre ('to confound, defeat, ruin'), from Latin confundere ('to pour together, mix, confuse'), from con- ('together') + fundere ('to pour'). In present-day use, it means to confuse or to prove wrong. Derived formations include confounded, confounder, confounding, and confoundedly. Related vocabulary includes confuse, confusion, and found.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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