confound Definition
- 1cause surprise or confusion in (someone), especially by acting against their expectations.
- 2mix up (something) with something else so that the individual elements become difficult to distinguish.
- 3prove (a theory, expectation, or prediction) wrong.
Using confound: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "confound" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The sudden drop in sales confounded us all.
Example
The new evidence confounded the detectives' theory.
Example
The colors of the painting are so confounded that it's hard to tell what's going on.
confound Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with confound
Example
Confounded by the difficult puzzle, she exclaimed 'confound it!'
Example
Bringing up irrelevant details will only confound the issue further.
confound expectations
surprise someone by doing something unexpected
Example
The underdog team confounded expectations by winning the championship.
Origins of confound
from Latin 'con-' meaning 'together' and 'fundere' meaning 'pour'
Summary: confound in Brief
To 'confound' [kənˈfaʊnd] is to cause surprise or confusion, mix up elements, or prove a theory wrong. It can be used in various contexts, such as when a sudden drop in sales confounds expectations, or when a painting's colors are so confounded that it's hard to tell what's going on. Phrases like 'confound it' express frustration, while 'confound expectations' denotes surprising someone by doing something unexpected.
