discombobulate


Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms.

dis·com·bob·u·late

 (dĭs′kəm-bŏb′yə-lāt′)
tr.v. dis·com·bob·u·lat·ed, dis·com·bob·u·lat·ing, dis·com·bob·u·lates
To throw into a state of confusion. See Synonyms at befuddle.

[Perhaps alteration of discompose.]

dis′com·bob′u·la′tion n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

discombobulate

(ˌdɪskəmˈbɒbjʊˌleɪt)
vb
(tr) informal chiefly US and Canadian to throw into confusion
[C20: probably a whimsical alteration of discompose or discomfit]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

dis•com•bob•u•late

(ˌdɪs kəmˈbɒb yəˌleɪt)

v.t. -lat•ed, -lat•ing.
to confuse or disconcert; upset; frustrate.
[1825–35, Amer.; fanciful alter. of discompose or discomfort]
dis`com•bob`u•la′tion, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

discombobulate


Past participle: discombobulated
Gerund: discombobulating

Imperative
discombobulate
discombobulate
Present
I discombobulate
you discombobulate
he/she/it discombobulates
we discombobulate
you discombobulate
they discombobulate
Preterite
I discombobulated
you discombobulated
he/she/it discombobulated
we discombobulated
you discombobulated
they discombobulated
Present Continuous
I am discombobulating
you are discombobulating
he/she/it is discombobulating
we are discombobulating
you are discombobulating
they are discombobulating
Present Perfect
I have discombobulated
you have discombobulated
he/she/it has discombobulated
we have discombobulated
you have discombobulated
they have discombobulated
Past Continuous
I was discombobulating
you were discombobulating
he/she/it was discombobulating
we were discombobulating
you were discombobulating
they were discombobulating
Past Perfect
I had discombobulated
you had discombobulated
he/she/it had discombobulated
we had discombobulated
you had discombobulated
they had discombobulated
Future
I will discombobulate
you will discombobulate
he/she/it will discombobulate
we will discombobulate
you will discombobulate
they will discombobulate
Future Perfect
I will have discombobulated
you will have discombobulated
he/she/it will have discombobulated
we will have discombobulated
you will have discombobulated
they will have discombobulated
Future Continuous
I will be discombobulating
you will be discombobulating
he/she/it will be discombobulating
we will be discombobulating
you will be discombobulating
they will be discombobulating
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been discombobulating
you have been discombobulating
he/she/it has been discombobulating
we have been discombobulating
you have been discombobulating
they have been discombobulating
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been discombobulating
you will have been discombobulating
he/she/it will have been discombobulating
we will have been discombobulating
you will have been discombobulating
they will have been discombobulating
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been discombobulating
you had been discombobulating
he/she/it had been discombobulating
we had been discombobulating
you had been discombobulating
they had been discombobulating
Conditional
I would discombobulate
you would discombobulate
he/she/it would discombobulate
we would discombobulate
you would discombobulate
they would discombobulate
Past Conditional
I would have discombobulated
you would have discombobulated
he/she/it would have discombobulated
we would have discombobulated
you would have discombobulated
they would have discombobulated
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Verb1.discombobulate - cause to be confused emotionallydiscombobulate - cause to be confused emotionally  
discomfit, discompose, untune, upset, disconcert - cause to lose one's composure
2.discombobulate - be confusing or perplexing todiscombobulate - be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly; "These questions confuse even the experts"; "This question completely threw me"; "This question befuddled even the teacher"
demoralize - confuse or put into disorder; "the boss's behavior demoralized everyone in the office"
bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, baffle, mystify, nonplus, perplex, puzzle, stupefy, amaze, gravel, vex, pose, stick, beat, get - be a mystery or bewildering to; "This beats me!"; "Got me--I don't know the answer!"; "a vexing problem"; "This question really stuck me"
disconcert, flurry, confuse, put off - cause to feel embarrassment; "The constant attention of the young man confused her"
disorient, disorientate - cause to be lost or disoriented
be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

discombobulate

verb
To cause to be unclear in mind or intent:
Informal: throw.
Idiom: make one's head reel.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations

discombobulate

[ˌdɪskəmˈbɒbjʊˌleɪt] VT (esp US) [+ person, plans] → dislocar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

discombobulate

vt (= esp US hum) → irritieren, verunsichern, aus dem Konzept bringen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
References in periodicals archive ?
"To generally discombobulate his life to which he would have certainly continued to do with some relish I think."
Why don't we see if every night - and twice in the afternoon - for 12 weeks if a piece of theatre can raise enough of a ruckus to discombobulate the man sitting in the Oval Office?
First, since perps nowadays are not used to old guns which belch fire and brimstone, it will totally discombobulate anyone on the receiving end.
THURSDAY Discombobulate, The Arches, Glasgow Ian MacPherson hosts an outing of the literary/ comedy evening.
The seven conservative Catholics I spoke of probably wish their columns appeared on different days, the more to discombobulate the progressives.
JUNE 2 DiScomBoBuLate, The Arches, Glasgow A laid-back performance night where literature and comedy collide, as established and emergent writers try out new material.