derange

See also: dérange and dérangé

EnglishEdit

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).

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;
(archaic) to disrupt somebody's plans, to inconvenience someone; 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.

to cause someone to go insane

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

to disrupt somebody's plans, to inconvenience someone