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
Defying professional orthodoxies about keeping widescreen framings wide and widescreen editing simple, Ray relies copiously on closeups, quick montages, and distorting and disorienting diagonal angles.
—
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025
Observing the politics, posturing, and commentary in this year’s first few weeks has been disorienting for many.
—The Sorenson Impact Institute, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
To that end, Yellowjackets’ new direction may disorient some returning viewers and resonate with others—especially the ones who might be feeling desensitized to seemingly nonsensical developments in the real world.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2025
This can be downright disorienting given the proud cinematic legacy of beautiful actors having the blahs.
—Nicolas Rapold, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disorient
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Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025
Observing the politics, posturing, and commentary in this year’s first few weeks has been disorienting for many.
—The Sorenson Impact Institute, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
To that end, Yellowjackets’ new direction may disorient some returning viewers and resonate with others—especially the ones who might be feeling desensitized to seemingly nonsensical developments in the real world.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2025
This can be downright disorienting given the proud cinematic legacy of beautiful actors having the blahs.
—Nicolas Rapold, Deadline, 16 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 3 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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