Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

discombobulate

/ˌdɪs.kəmˈbɒb.jəˌleɪt/ verb

First recorded: 1834 Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about discombobulate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Cause to be confused emotionally.
Be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly.
These questions confuse even the experts

Origin

Fanciful variant of discompose, discomfit, etc., originally discombobricate. The -bob- interfix may come from bobbery, meaning “commotion, noise”. First attested in 1834 in the United States.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word