lose one's bearings
Get completely lost
To lose one's bearings is to become disoriented—to no longer know where you are or which direction to go.
From navigation, where bearings are compass readings that establish position.
The phrase extends to any confusion about one's situation: After the divorce, she completely lost her bearings.
The fog rolled in and we lost our bearings on the trail.
- adriftFloating without control
- at seaConfused or perplexed
- all at seaThoroughly perplexed and lost
- bewilderedThoroughly puzzled and confused
- in a fogMentally unclear, disoriented
wander · perplexed · veer · rudderless · lost · unmoored · dislocated · unanchored · ungrounded · disconnected · unsettled · destabilized · out of one's depth · stray · labyrinthine · aimless · shaken · uncentered
lose one's bearingsstay grounded
Maintain mental equilibrium
keep one's head · know where one stands · stay focused · find oneself · have one's wits about one
lose one's bearingsstay on track
lose, loses, losing, loser, losers, loss, losses, ones, oneness