When someone feels confused or lost, especially about direction or position.
Examples:
After the spin, the cat seemed rather disorientated.The hiker felt disorientated in the dense forest.She appeared disorientated after waking suddenly from her nap.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Disoriented
/dɪsˈɔːrientəd/
Feeling confused or having lost one's sense of direction
Examples:
After the blindfolds were removed, she felt dizzy and disoriented.Waking up in an unfamiliar room, I felt utterly disoriented.The hiker was disoriented after wandering through the dense fog.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
"Disoriented" is more commonly used in the United States, whereas "disorientated" is often found in British English.
Both words describe a state of being confused or lacking direction, typically used in situations where someone has lost their sense of time, place, or identity.
Despite regional preferences, both words can typically be used interchangeably without significant confusion or misunderstanding.
When in doubt, use "disoriented" in American English contexts and "disorientated" for British English contexts.
Remember that the extra "-at" in "disorientated" is analogous to the longer British English spelling conventions in other words like "colour" vs. "color".