DISCOMBOBULATE

[Dr. Goodword]

• discombobulate •

Pronunciation: dis-kêm-bah-byê-leyt • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Verb, transitive

Meaning: (Humorous slang) To confuse, befuddle, disconcert or disorient; to throw into mental disarray.

Notes: Current dictionaries are still reluctant to discuss the family of this common if funny word. The action noun is discombobulation, which suffices to demonstrate that the word has been fully Latinized and absorbed into English. This means that other derivations like discombobulator, discombobulative, discombobulable and the like are fully grammatical—even though they may rankle your spellchecker.

In Play: A discombobulative situation would be one in which you wish to indicate befuddlement and get a laugh, too: "Well, I'm a little discombobulated right now and can't think of an alternative verb for discombobulate." It is not a word you would use in formal English but use it elsewhere with relish: "When visiting America, Cedric often becomes discombobulated and drives in the left lane."

Word History: Today's word probably dropped from someone's lips when they were searching futilely for a word like discompose, which they mixed it up with, maybe, cobble, then added the Latin suffix -ate in an attempt to cover their tracks. The result is so amusing, however, that it survived and will continue to be repeated so long as it gets laughs. This word first appeared in print in the mid 1930s in the New York Sun, making it clear that it is another jab at pretentious speech from the US.

[mamawsandy]

I have heard this word used by people in our area who have never seen a dictionary. It is strange how they just pick it up and use it. I think the sound of it attracts them. I knew the meaning and I liked the sound, but I could not spell it for my life. I stay (whatever it is.)

[tcward]

I use 'discombobulate' all the time. In fact, I was on a support call with someone from the UK and he was looking for a word to describe how things had gotten messed up or confused in the system, and I just blurted out 'discombobulated'. He loved it and knew immediately that I understood what he was talking about.

-Tim

[misterdoe]

I was just about to suggest this word, but I see it's been done. As for spellcheckers becoming rankled by the likes of discombobulator, well, that's just something my spellchecker and I will have to "arn" out.