verb · 3 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
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/dɪsˈɔːɹi.ənt/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:D IH0 S AO1 R IY0 EH2 N T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To cause to lose orientation or direction.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To confuse or befuddle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
cause to be lost or disoriented
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh1 Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Old French des- Middle French des- French dés- French orienter French désorienterbor. English disorient Borrowed from French désorienter.
Across languages
Translations
28 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
разориентирам
(razorientiram)
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Bulgarian:
обърквам
(obǎrkvam)
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Finnish:
eksyttää
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Finnish:
harhauttaa
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
French:
désorienter
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
German:
desorientieren
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
German:
verwirren
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Hungarian:
összezavar
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Hungarian:
félrevezet
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Hungarian:
eltérít
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Hungarian:
dezorientál
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Icelandic:
rugla
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Icelandic:
rugla í ríminu
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Icelandic:
gera ringlaðan
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Icelandic:
láta tapa áttum
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Icelandic:
villa um fyrir
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Icelandic:
slá út af laginu
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Icelandic:
gera áttavilltan
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Ingrian:
öksyttää
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Italian:
disorientare
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Norwegian Bokmål:
desorientere
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Norwegian Nynorsk:
desorientere
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Polish:
dezorientować
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Polish:
zdezorientować
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Russian:
дезориенти́ровать
(dezorijentírovatʹ)
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Serbo-Croatian:
dezorijentírati
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Spanish:
desorientar
— to cause to lose orientation or direction
Spanish:
perder el norte
— to cause to lose orientation or direction