disorient
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cause to lose one's way.
The strange streets disoriented him.
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to confuse by removing or obscuring something that has guided a person, group, or culture, as customs, moral standards, etc..
Society has been disoriented by changing values.
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Psychiatry. to cause to lose perception of time, place, or one's personal identity.
Etymology
Origin of disorient
1645–55; < French désorienter, equivalent to dés- dis- 1 + orienter to orient
Explanation
To disorient is to confuse or cause to lose all sense of direction. Stepping off an airplane halfway around the world in the middle of the night will disorient even the most experienced traveler. Disorient comes from the French désorienter, which means "to lose one's bearings" but literally translates to "to turn from the east." The Latin root is orientem, "the part of the sky where the sun rises." When we orient ourselves, we get our bearings, figuring out which direction we're facing. It disorients you to lose track of where you are, or to feel befuddled or confused: "That medicine always disorients my cat, making him stumble around bumping into things"
Vocabulary lists containing disorient
Lesson 2
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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.
To add a touch of mystery, contestants will travel and sleep on a coach with blacked-out windows to disorient them.
From BBC • Jul. 21, 2025
The story uses sporadic live-action scenes to unnerve and disorient players and make them question whether they can really trust what they’re seeing.
From Washington Times • Nov. 25, 2023
Electric lights can disorient them, causing turtles to head the wrong way on the beach instead of following light from the moon and stars.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 23, 2023
She’s not afraid to disorient an audience — or to disgust them.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 1, 2023
Here on earth, orienting yourself depends on the feeling you get from the pull of gravity, plus your vision. just being blindfolded is enough to disorient some people.
From The Flying Saucers are Real by Keyhoe, Donald E. (Donald Edward)
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.
