Standard Lemma guide

discombobulated

adj · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH2 S K AH0 M B AO1 B Y UW0 L EY0 T AH0 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Confused, embarrassed, upset.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • After months of preparation for a new sign ordinance, the Planning Commission appeared discombobulated over the idea of adopting the new regulations when confronted by a few members of the public.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Broken, mixed up.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

simple past and past participle of discombobulate

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

having self-possession upset; thrown into confusion- G.B.Shaw

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the hecklers pelted the discombobulated speaker with anything that came to hand
  • looked at each other dumbly, quite disconcerted

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disconcerted

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: hämmentynyt — confused, embarrassed, upset
  • Finnish: nolostunut — confused, embarrassed, upset
  • Finnish: järkyttynyt — confused, embarrassed, upset
  • Hungarian: zavarodott — confused, embarrassed, upset
  • Hungarian: összezavarodott — confused, embarrassed, upset
  • Macedonian: збу́нет (zbúnet) — confused, embarrassed, upset
  • Macedonian: возне́мирен (voznémiren) — confused, embarrassed, upset
  • Serbo-Croatian: zbunjen — confused, embarrassed, upset
  • Serbo-Croatian: pometen — confused, embarrassed, upset
  • Serbo-Croatian: zbrčkan — broken, mixed up