disorientation
/dɪsˌɔːriənˈteɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪsˌɔːriənˈteɪʃn/ (ame, ipa)
disorientation — noun
1. a state in which you do not know where you are, which way to go, or what is happ
a state in which you do not know where you are, which way to go, or what is happening around you — often caused by a sudden change of environment, a head injury, a drug effect, or a medical condition such as dementia.
Mei felt a wave of disorientation when she stepped off the plane in a city where she knew no one.
uncountable noun: 'a wave of disorientation'
After the earthquake, the survivor's disorientation made it hard for her to find the emergency exit.
The dim lighting and identical corridors caused a strong sense of disorientation among the museum visitors.
Doctors checked the patient for signs of disorientation after he hit his head during the soccer match.
A sudden loss of natural light can cause severe disorientation for hikers walking through a thick forest at dusk.
- confusion
broader term; disorientation is a specific type of confusion tied to location, direction, or time
- bewilderment
emphasises emotional shock at not understanding what is happening; less spatial than disorientation
- dizziness
a physical spinning sensation that can accompany disorientation but is not the same thing
- orientation
the opposite state — knowing where you are and what is around you
- awareness
being conscious of one's surroundings, which disorientation removes
用法筆記
Frequently used after prepositions such as 'a feeling of', 'a sense of', 'signs of'. Common in medical, travel, and emergency-response contexts.