confounded
Adjective: 1. Extremely perplexed or confused: Feeling or showing complete bewilderment and mental disorientation, often due to a complex or surprising situation. 2. (Informal, dated) Used as an intensifier to express annoyance or emphasis: A mild expletive used to convey frustration, similar to "damned" or "blasted."
As an adjective describing a state of confusion:
- The confounded tourist stared at the map, unable to find his way.
- She was confounded by the sudden change in the instructions.
- His contradictory advice left me utterly confounded.
As an informal intensifier (expressing annoyance):
- I can't find my confounded keys anywhere!
- This confounded computer keeps freezing.
- The use of "confounded" as an intensifier ("that confounded noise!") is now considered somewhat old-fashioned or literary but is still understood.
- It can be used attributively (before a noun: "a confounded problem") or predicatively (after a linking verb: "I am confounded").
- Confound (verb): To cause surprise or confusion; to prove wrong.
- The results confounded all our expectations.
- Confoundedly (adverb, informal/dated): Used for emphasis.
- It was confoundedly difficult to solve.
- Bewildered
- Baffled
- Perplexed
- Flummoxed
- Nonplussed
- (For the intensifier sense) Damned, Blasted, Cursed
- Clear-headed
- Unperturbed
- Understanding
- Enlightened
The two primary meanings are distinct: 1. The first meaning (perplexed) describes an internal state of mind. 2. The second meaning (annoying) is an external modifier expressing the speaker's attitude toward a thing or situation. Context makes the intended meaning clear.
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perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
-
obviously bemused by his questions
-
bewildered and confused
-
a cloudy and confounded philosopher
-
just a mixed-up kid
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she felt lost on the first day of school
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