adj
confounded
kuhn-FOWN-dihd
Confounded (adj) means Completely puzzled or astonished. Example: “He stood there looking utterly confounded by the question.”
adj
1
Completely puzzled or astonished.
"He stood there looking utterly confounded by the question."
"The media is very confounded right now. They're very confused. They don't know whether to trash themselves, trash their colleagues, or what."
— , Mark Levin on why Obama may have been spying on Trump; Reps. Gohmert, Meadows detail new health care proposal (2017)
2
Old-fashioned, mild intensifier used to show annoyance, similar to "darn" or "blasted".
""Where's my confounded phone gone now?" he muttered."
How to use confounded
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBaffled — or, in old-fashioned speech, a polite swear word meaning "annoying".
When to use it
The "darn/blasted" sense sounds dated or deliberately old-fashioned in modern English.
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more confounded
- Superlative
- most confounded
Fill the gap
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He stood there looking utterly _____ by the question.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for confounded
See all rhymes for confounded →Frequently asked questions
What does “confounded” mean?
The word “confounded” means completely puzzled or astonished. In plain terms, baffled — or, in old-fashioned speech, a polite swear word meaning "annoying".
How do you pronounce “confounded”?
“Confounded” is pronounced kuhn-FOWN-dihd (/kənˈfaʊndɪd/ in IPA).
How do you use “confounded” in a sentence?
Here is “confounded” used in a sentence: “He stood there looking utterly confounded by the question.”
What part of speech is “confounded”?
“Confounded” is an adjective.
How many meanings does “confounded” have?
“Confounded” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: completely puzzled or astonished.
