confound

UK: /kɒnˈfaʊnd/

US: /kənˈfaʊnd/

US: (kon found′, kən-; for 6 usually kon′found′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

con•found /kənˈfaʊnd/   v. [~ + object]

1. to amaze;
   confuse;
   perplex:
   The army's lightning attack confounded the enemy.
2. [~ + object + with + object] to mix up by mistake;
   
   This analysis confounded truth with errors and lies.

Idioms

3. Confound it! (used as a mild oath to express one's irritation): Confound it! Pick up those books now!

con•found•ing•ly, adv. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

con•found  (kon found′, kən-; for 6 usually kon′found′), v.t. 

1. to perplex or amaze, esp. 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.]
   • to defeat or overthrow.
   • to bring to ruin or naught.
10. [Obs.] to spend uselessly;
    waste.

• Latin confundere to mix, equivalent. to con- con- + fundere to pour
• Anglo-French confoundre
• Middle English conf(o)unden 1250–1300

con•found′a•ble, adj. 
con•found′er, n. 
con•found′ing•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. dumbfound, daze, nonplus, astound.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

confound / 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)

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French confondre, from Latin confundere to mingle, pour together, from fundere to pour

conˈfounder noun