Bemuddle

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To cause someone to become perplexed or mentally confused
2. To render unclear or muddled in thought or understanding
3. To confuse the mind or make something difficult to comprehend

Etymology: "Bemuddle" is simply "muddle" with the prefix "be-" attached, and the pairing is an old English device. "Muddle" itself comes from "mud", and the sense of stirring something into a murky, unclear state carries over into the verb. Adding "be-" intensifies the action, so to bemuddle someone is to thoroughly confuse them, leaving their wits tangled up rather than merely puzzled. The prefix "be-" once worked as a productive way to turn nouns and adjectives into verbs, which is why English has many similar pairs such as "befog" and "bedazzle". "Bemuddle" follows the same pattern, taking a familiar, slightly earthy word and making it describe a more complete mental blurring.

Synonyms: confuse, bewilder, perplex

Antonyms: clarify, enlighten