Confounding


[kon-found, kuh n-; for 6 usually kon-found] /kɒnˈfaʊnd, kən-; for 6 usually ˈkɒnˈfaʊnd/

verb (used with object)
1.
to perplex or amaze, especially by a sudden disturbance or surprise; bewilder; confuse:
The complicated directions confounded him.
2.
to throw into confusion or disorder:
The revolution confounded the people.
3.
to throw into increased confusion or disorder.
4.
to treat or regard erroneously as identical; mix or associate by mistake:
truth confounded with error.
5.
to mingle so that the elements cannot be distinguished or separated.
6.
to damn (used in mild imprecations):
Confound it!
7.
to contradict or refute:
to confound their arguments.
8.
to put to shame; abash.
9.
Archaic.

10.
Obsolete. to spend uselessly; waste.
/kənˈfaʊnd/
verb (transitive)
1.
to astound or perplex; bewilder
2.
to mix up; confuse
3.
to treat mistakenly as similar to or identical with (one or more other things)
4.
(kɒnˈfaʊnd). to curse or damn (usually as an expletive in the phrase confound it!)
5.
to contradict or refute (an argument, etc)
6.
to rout or defeat (an enemy)
7.
(obsolete) to waste
v.

c.1300, “make uneasy, abash,” from Anglo-French confoundre, Old French confondre (12c.) “crush, ruin, disgrace, throw into disorder,” from Latin confundere “to confuse,” literally “to pour together, mix, mingle,” from com- “together” (see com-) + fundere “to pour” (see found (v.2)).

The figurative sense of “confuse, fail to distinguish, mix up” emerged in Latin, passed into French and thence into Middle English, where it is mostly found in Scripture; the sense of “destroy utterly” is recorded in English from c.1300. Meaning “perplex” is late 14c. The Latin past participle confusus, meanwhile, became confused (q.v.).

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