derange

See also: dérange and dérangé

English

Etymology

From French déranger, from Old French desrengier (“throw into disorder”), from des- + rengier (“to put into line”), from reng (“line, row”), from a Germanic source. See rank (noun).

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˈɹeɪnd͡ʒ/
Audio (Southern England) (file)
(US) IPA^(key): /diˈɹeɪnd͡ʒ/
Rhymes: -eɪndʒ

Verb

derange (third-person singular simple present deranges, present participle deranging, simple past and past participle deranged)

(transitive, chiefly passive) To cause (someone) to go insane or become deranged.
(transitive) To cause disorder in (something); to distort from its ideal state.
- 1776, Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations:
  Both these kinds of monopolies derange more or less the natural distribution of the stock of the society;
(transitive) To cause to malfunction or become inoperative.
- 1949 January 1, Bureau of Ships, “U.S.S. PERCH (SS176), Loss in Action, Java Sea, 3 March 1942”, in Submarine Report: Depth Charge, Bomb, Mine, Torpedo and Gunfire Damage, Including Losses in Action, 7 December 1941 to 15 August 1945‎, volume 1, United States Hydrographic Office, archived from the original on 9 December 2022, retrieved 14 December 2022, page 21:
  4-16. All lighting was cut off by a close detonation but was partially restored after a short while. Many auxiliary motors were short-circuited or deranged. There were at least nineteen cracked jars in the forward battery and one in the after battery, causing loss of electrolyte and full grounds. All of the electric alarm and telephone circuits were out of commission.
(archaic) To disrupt (somebody's) plans, to inconvenience; to derail.
- 1782, Fanny Burney, Cecilia, Memoirs of an Heiress:
  "By no means, Sir," answered the Captain: "I shall be quite au désespoir if I derange any body."
- 1898, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost Special:
  A second special was out of the question, as the ordinary local service was already somewhat deranged by the first.

Derived terms

derangement

Translations

to cause someone to go insane

Bulgarian: побърквам (bg) (pobǎrkvam)
Catalan: pertorbar (ca)
Finnish: tehdä hulluksi

to cause disorder in something, to distort it from its ideal state

Bulgarian: разбърквам (bg) (razbǎrkvam), размествам (bg) (razmestvam), размествам (bg) (razmestvam)
Finnish: sekoittaa (fi)
Russian: расстро́ить (ru) (rasstróitʹ)

to disrupt somebody's plans, to inconvenience someone

Bulgarian: обърквам (bg) (obǎrkvam)

Anagrams

Redange, agender, angered, en garde, enraged, grandee, grenade