disoriented

adjective

dis·​ori·​ent·​ed (ˌ)dis-ˈȯr-ē-ˌen-təd How to pronounce disoriented (audio)
: having lost one's sense of time, place, or identity
She opened her eyes, startled and disoriented for an instant. The little cell she slept in was dismally black.Sidney Sheldon
Since fleeing to London, the 40-year-old businessman has had nightmares, chest pains and is so disoriented that he can barely look after his kids.Tony Horwitz
He remembered nothing for more than a few seconds. He was continually disoriented.Oliver Sacks

Examples of disoriented in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Individuals who awake from this type of sleep can be very disoriented and groggy, so Nadorff recommends letting sleep talkers and sleep walkers remain asleep when possible. Jacob Livesay, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2022 Meta has reportedly paused hiring in parts of the business and instituted efforts to weed out underperformers, and former employees say that many who stayed feel disoriented and uneasy. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2022 For Essner and Pie, that comparison speaks to just how disoriented pumpkin toadlets must be. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 15 June 2022 Cellos, violins, violas and other instruments lay on the train platform next to their young and disoriented owners. Justin Spike, Chron, 7 Mar. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disoriented.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disoriented was in 1900

Dictionary Entries Near disoriented

Cite this Entry

“Disoriented.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disoriented. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!