Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Confound
Con-found′
(kŏn-found′)
, Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Confounded
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Confounding
.] 1.
To mingle and blend, so that different elements can not be distinguished; to confuse.
They who strip not ideas from the marks men use for them, but
confound
them with words, must have endless dispute. Locke.
Let us go down, and there
confound
their language. Gen. xi. 7.
2.
To mistake for another; to identify falsely.
They [the tinkers] were generally vagrants and pilferers, and were often
confounded
with the gypsies. Macaulay.
3.
To throw into confusion or disorder; to perplex; to strike with amazement; to dismay.
The gods
The Athenians both within and out that wall.
confound
...The Athenians both within and out that wall.
Shakespeare
They trusted in thee and were not
confounded
. Ps. xxii. 5.
So spake the Son of God, and Satan stood
A while as mute,
A while as mute,
confounded
what to say. Milton.
4.
To destroy; to ruin; to waste.
[Obs.]
One man’s lust these many lives
confounds
. Shakespeare
Syn. – To abash; confuse; baffle; dismay; astonish; defeat; terrify; mix; blend; intermingle. See
Abash
. A cloudy and
confounded
philosopher. Cudworth.
2.
Excessive; extreme; abominable.
[Colloq.]
He was a most
confounded
tory. Swift.
The tongue of that
confounded
woman. Sir. W. Scott.
Webster 1828 Edition
Confound
CONFOUND
,Verb.
T.
1.
To mingle and blend different things, so that their forms or natures cannot be distinguished; to mix in a mass or crowd, so that individuals cannot be distinguished.2.
To throw into disorder.Let us go down, and there confound their language. Genesis 11.
3.
To mix or blend, so as to occasion a mistake of one thing for another.A fluid body and a wetting liquor, because they agree in many things, are wont to be confounded.
Men may confound ideas with words.
4.
To perplex; to disturb the apprehension by indistinctness of ideas or words.Men may confound each other by unintelligible terms or wrong application of words.
5.
To abash; to throw the mind into disorder; to cast down; to make ashamed.Be thou confounde and ber thy shame. Ezekiel 16.
Saul confounded the Jews at Damascus. Acts 9.
6.
To perplex with terror; to terrify; to dismay; to astonish; to throw into consternation; to stupify with amazement.So spake the Son of God; and Satan stood a while as mute confounded what to say.
The multitude came together and were confounded. Acts 2.
7.
To destroy; to overthrow.So deep a malice to confound the race of mankind in one root.