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
The genre revels in spatially disorienting the player.
—
Lewis Gordon, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
That’s not the only oddball touch in Rankin’s film, which unspools with a delightfully disorienting mix of poetic realism (one that naturally recalls the Iranian New Wave), flights of surreal comedy, and wry, deadpan bleakness.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
At the end of his storyline, there’s a disorienting creative decision that nearly addresses the white elephant in the room: the question of who belongs in this community.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2025
The stack of executive orders gushing from the White House spans so many fronts that disoriented Democrats appear unsure how to fight back.
—Josh Feldman, NBC News, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disorient
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Lewis Gordon, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
That’s not the only oddball touch in Rankin’s film, which unspools with a delightfully disorienting mix of poetic realism (one that naturally recalls the Iranian New Wave), flights of surreal comedy, and wry, deadpan bleakness.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
At the end of his storyline, there’s a disorienting creative decision that nearly addresses the white elephant in the room: the question of who belongs in this community.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2025
The stack of executive orders gushing from the White House spans so many fronts that disoriented Democrats appear unsure how to fight back.
—Josh Feldman, NBC News, 9 Feb. 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 23 Mar. 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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