disorient
verb
dis·ori·ent
(ˌ)dis-ˈȯr-ē-ˌent 
disoriented; disorienting; disorients
1
a
: to cause to lose bearings : displace from normal position or relationship
b
: to cause to lose the sense of time, place, or identity
2
: confuse
Examples of disorient in a Sentence
Thick fog can disorient even an experienced hiker.
troops disoriented by the sudden change in battle plans
Recent Examples on the Web
From familiar elements of melodrama (the eternal triangle plus a family secret), Jones builds a story of subtly disorienting paradox.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 May 2025
Our Happy Place Country: USA; Running Time: 89 Min.
Director: Paul Bickel
Raya jolts awake on the forest floor—shivering, disoriented, and alone.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 22 May 2025
Scared and disoriented, Olivia trips into a window and falls four stories to her death.
—Keith Langston, People.com, 18 May 2025
This exchange forms a disorienting end to a disorienting book—and indeed a disorienting life.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for disorient
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Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 May 2025
Our Happy Place Country: USA; Running Time: 89 Min.
Director: Paul Bickel
Raya jolts awake on the forest floor—shivering, disoriented, and alone.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 22 May 2025
Scared and disoriented, Olivia trips into a window and falls four stories to her death.
—Keith Langston, People.com, 18 May 2025
This exchange forms a disorienting end to a disorienting book—and indeed a disorienting life.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for disorient
Cite this Entry
“Disorient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disorient. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
disorient
verb
dis·ori·ent
(ˈ)dis-ˈōr-ē-ˌent
-ˈȯr-
: to cause to be confused or lost
Medical Definition
disorient
transitive verb
dis·ori·ent
(ˈ)dis-ˈōr-ē-ˌent, -ˈȯr-
: to produce a state of disorientation in : disorientate
the next day the patient was disoriented but not comatose—The Journal of the American Medical Association
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