View synonyms for befuddled

befuddled

[ bih-fuhd-ld ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

confused or muddled:
They claim this is the prevailing economic theory, taught in the best schools, and that I am a hopelessly befuddled fool for questioning it.
puzzled or perplexed:
People often ask us—usually with a befuddled look on their face—"Why on earth are you doing this?"
stupidly drunk:
I don't think he's sobered up at all—in fact, he looks almost frighteningly befuddled and out of it.

First recorded in 1830–40; befuddle + -ed ²( def ) for the adjective senses; befuddle + -ed ¹( def ) for the verb sense

The ruins of an ancient town deep in the Kenyan forest have befuddled archaeologists and historians for decades.

Confusion over the catcher's eye black is just the tip of the iceberg for this befuddled limey.

Taken aback, toothpaste dribbling down my chin, I stood there befuddled, not quite sure what to do next.

He seemed befuddled the politics of the situation left no alternatives open for the GOP.

Fox News called him a “doleful hound,” while the Washington Post preferred the less stylized, “slightly befuddled-looking.”

Why, she got befuddled in reciting something about an Indian uprising that came in our American History hour.

His wild escape—his coming to this unknown place—and now this befuddled young fellow intent upon battle with him.

I can't make head or tail of them, and I think my brother is about as much befuddled as I am.

Noll had been drinking that day; he was befuddled; his brain was thick.

He checked, searching his befuddled mind for a compelling threat.

April 23, 2024inveterate

[in-vet-er-it ]

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