| Main Entry: |
appall/appal
|
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | horrify |
| Synonyms: | alarm, amaze, astound, awe, consternate, daunt, disconcert, dishearten, dismay, faze, frighten, get to, gross out, insult, intimidate, outrage, petrify, scare, shake, shock, terrify, throw, unnerve |
| Antonyms: | comfort, encourage, reassure, satisfy |
| Main Entry: | baffle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | perplex |
| Synonyms: | addle, amaze, astound, befuddle, bewilder, buffalo, confound, confuse, daze, disconcert, dumbfound, elude, embarrass, faze, floor*, get, mix up, muddle, mystify, nonplus, puzzle, rattle, stick*, stump, stun, throw |
| Antonyms: | clear up, enlighten, explain |
| Main Entry: | bemuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | confuse |
| Synonyms: | addle, amaze, bewilder, daydream, daze, gather wool, moon, muddle, overwhelm, paralyze, perplex, pipe dream, puzzle, stun, stupefy |
| Notes: | the first meaning of amuse was 'to divert the attention of in order to mislead,' 'delude, deceive' and now means 'entertain, make smile or laugh'; bemuse means 'confuse, bewilder, puzzle' |
| Antonyms: | clear up, enlighten, explain, illuminate, tell |
| Main Entry: | boggle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | astonish |
| Synonyms: | amaze, astound, bowl over, fill with wonder, flabbergast*, overwhelm, shock, startle |
| Main Entry: | confound |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | confuse |
| Synonyms: | abash, amaze, astonish, astound, baffle, befog, bewilder, blend, bug*, commingle, confute, discombobulate, discomfit, discountenance, dumbfound, embarrass, faze, fiddle, flabbergast, jumble, metagrobolize, misidentify, mix, mix up, mystify, nonplus, perplex, pose, puzzle, rattle, screw up, startle, surprise, throw* |
| Antonyms: | clarify, clear up, enlighten, explain, make clear, relate |
| Main Entry: | confuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bewilder someone |
| Synonyms: | abash, addle, amaze, astonish, baffle, becloud, bedevil, befuddle, bemuse, cloud, clutter, complicate, confound, darken, daze, demoralize, discomfit, discompose, disconcert, discountenance, disorient, distract, embarrass, faze, fluster, fog, frustrate, fuddle, involve, lead astray, mess up*, misinform, mislead, mortify, muddle, mystify, nonplus, obscure, perplex, perturb, puzzle, rattle, render uncertain, shame, stir up, stump, throw off, throw off balance, trouble, unhinge, unsettle, upset, worry |
| Antonyms: | clarify, clear up, enlighten, explain |
| Main Entry: | daze |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | confuse, shock |
| Synonyms: | addle, amaze, astonish, astound, befog, befuddle, benumb, bewilder, blind, blur, confound, dazzle, disorder, distract, dizzy, dumbfound, flabbergast, fuddle, mix up, muddle, mystify, numb, overpower, overwhelm, paralyze, perplex, petrify, puzzle, rock, stagger, startle, stun, stupefy, surprise |
| Antonyms: | expect |
| Main Entry: | disturb |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bother, upset |
| Synonyms: | afflict, agitate, ail, alarm, amaze, annoy, arouse, astound, badger, burn up, complicate, confound, confuse, depress, discompose, dishearten, disrupt, distract, distress, excite, fluster, frighten, gall, grieve, harass, interfere, interrupt, intrude, irk, irritate, make uneasy, molest, muddle, outrage, pain, perplex, perturb, pester, pique, plague, provoke, puzzle, rattle, rouse, ruffle, shake, shake up, startle, tire, trouble, unhinge, unnerve, unsettle, vex, worry |
| Notes: | disturb is based on Latin turba 'tumult' and disturb applies better to physical agitation and perturb to mental agitation |
| Antonyms: | appease, calm, comfort, pacify, quiet, reassure, soothe |
| Main Entry: | dumbfound |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | astound, confuse |
| Synonyms: | amaze, astonish, bewilder, blow away, blow one's mind, boggle, bowl over, confound, flabbergast, knock over with feather, nonplus, overwhelm, puzzle, stagger, startle, stun, surprise, take aback, throw, throw into a tizzy |
| Antonyms: | clear up, explain, explicate, lay out |