verb
-
to confuse, muddle, or perplex
-
to make stupid with drink
Other Word Forms
- befuddlement noun
- befuddler noun
Etymology
Origin of befuddle
Explanation
To befuddle is to confuse. A sticky exam question can befuddle you, or an awkward question about your whereabouts the night before (how can you remember? You were befuddled, after all.) In sixteenth century Britain a popular thing to do (about the only thing to do) after the hogs had been fed and the chickens put away for the night was fuddle — in other words get pretty drunk. Befuddled was simply the confused state too many pots of mead put your poor brain in, and that's still its basic meaning today. Nowadays, befuddle has a more general meaning of confusion and uncertainty not necessarily caused by too much booze.
Vocabulary lists containing befuddle
Smoke and Mirrors: The Lingo of Illusion and Deception
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After a quick run-up, Panenka floated a delicate chip down the middle to befuddle goalkeeper Sepp Maier and win the trophy for Czechoslovakia.
From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026
Even in the sunlight, the shadows and glare can befuddle landing cameras and sensors.
From National Geographic • Jan. 8, 2024
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s dribbling wizardry and passing abilities befuddle defenders in Italy and beyond.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 19, 2023
Kelly certainly knows about defenses because he’s designed elite offenses to befuddle them going back to his days at New Hampshire.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2022
The idea, then, that Big Bird no longer wants to be called Big Bird but instead wants to be called Roy is almost guaranteed to befuddle a preschooler.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
