Word: confound (verb)

Associations

"Confound" means to confuse or surprise someone, often by something unexpected. It can also mean to mix things up so they are hard to separate or understand.

• "The magician’s trick confounded the audience." Here, it means the audience was surprised and confused.
• "The results of the experiment were confounded by an error." This means the error mixed up the results, making them unclear.
• "She was confounded by the complex instructions." She was confused by the instructions.

Synonym: "confuse" is very close in meaning. The difference is that "confound" often has a stronger or more formal tone and can include surprise or frustration. "Confuse" is more general.

Substitution

You can use:

• confuse — more common and simple.
• perplex — means to confuse but often with a sense of puzzlement.
• baffle — means to confuse someone completely.

Example: "The puzzle confounded me." → "The puzzle baffled me."

Deconstruction

"Confound" comes from Latin roots:

• "con-" means "together" or "with."
• "found" comes from "fundere," meaning "to pour." So originally, it meant to "pour together," which relates to mixing things up or confusing.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when something confounded you? What was it?
• How is "confound" different from just being confused?
• Could "confound" be used in a positive way, like surprising someone pleasantly? Why or why not?