惑わす|まどわすmadowasu[3]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. godan verb, transitive verbto bewilder; to perplex; to puzzle; to delude; to mislead; to deceive
   流言りゅうげん飛語ひごに惑まどわされるべからず、とはいうものの、言ゆうは易やすく行おこなうは難がたし、と思おもわない？↗

   They say you shouldn't take rumors seriously, but that's easier said than done.
2. godan verb, transitive verbto tempt; to seduce

• Synonym迷わすまよわすNeutralTo leave someone puzzled in thought or judgment; largely interchangeable with 「惑わす」, but leans toward being lost or undecided.
• Synonym欺くあざむくWrittenWritten-style word for deceiving; it can also mean to rival, as in 「昼を欺く明るさ」 — a use 「惑わす」 does not have.
• Related騙すだますNeutralThe broadest word for deceiving; it focuses on making someone believe what is false, while 「惑わす」 stresses clouding judgment and leading people astray.
• Related偽るいつわるNeutralTo lie or misrepresent facts or one's identity, as in 「年齢を偽る」; it stresses telling falsehoods and does not emphasize clouding the other person's mind.
• RelatedごまかすNeutralTo gloss over or cover up, as in 「笑ってごまかす」; it stresses muddling through, and is far more everyday than 「惑わす」.
• Related乗せるのせるNeutralBasically to give a ride or place something on top, but also to talk someone into being fooled, as in 「口車に乗せる」; it stresses luring someone into the trap.
• Related悩ますなやますNeutralTo afflict or torment someone; it stresses causing distress and carries no sense of deception or clouding judgment.
• RelatedインチキCasualA colloquial noun for cheating, faking or sham goods; not a verb, so it cannot take a direct object the way 「惑わす」 does.
• Related丸め込むまるめこむNeutralTo coax or sweet-talk someone into compliance; it stresses winning a person over, not confusing them.
• RelatedたらしこむCasualColloquial: to sweet-talk someone into being deceived or seduced for one's own use; derogatory, while 「惑わす」 does not necessarily aim at winning someone over.
• RelatedたばかるNeutralWhen written 「謀る」, it means to plot or scheme to deceive; it stresses hatching plots, while in ordinary use it mostly means to aim for or strive for something.
• RelatedまやかすNeutralTo deceive or hoodwink, close in sense to 「ごまかす」 but rare; in daily speech people say 「ごまかす」 or 「騙す」.
• RelatedたぶらかすNeutralTo entice and beguile, as in 「甘言で人を誑かす」 or 「狐が人を誑かす」; more clearly about deception than 「惑わす」.
• RelatedたらすNeutralTo cajole or seduce with sweet words; rare, stressing verbal enticement to make someone comply — in everyday speech 「騙す」 is more common.
• Related化かすばかすNeutralSaid of foxes and the like bewitching people; carries an air of the supernatural — in ordinary contexts use 「惑わす」 or 「騙す」.
• Related惑乱わくらんWrittenA noun/suru verb for minds thrown into confusion or hearts disturbed; rare even in written prose — for the verb, use 「惑わす」.
• Related賺すすかすNeutralTo humour or coax someone along, as in 「子供を賺す」; it stresses soothing and coaxing, not bewildering anyone.
• RelatedだまくらかすCasualColloquial, with a teasing tone: to trick someone cleverly; same meaning as 「騙す」 but avoided in formal settings.
• RelatedだまかすCasualColloquial and rare, meaning the same as 「騙す」; in formal contexts 「騙す」 is the word to use.
• Antonym導くみちびくNeutralAntonym: to guide or show the way, the opposite of 「惑わす」, which leads people's judgment astray.
• Antonym正すただすNeutralAntonym: written 「質す」 it means to question someone to get the facts straight — seeking clarity, the opposite of clouding judgment.

Use 「惑わす」 for clouding someone's judgment, bewildering or tempting them, as in 「人心を惑わす」 and 「デマに惑わされる」. For plain deception say 「騙す」; for glossing things over, 「ごまかす」; for a fox bewitching people, 「化かす」. 「迷わす」 is nearly interchangeable with the headword. Words like 「誑かす」「たらす」「丸め込む」 add a luring, coaxing nuance, while 「悩ます」 is about torment, not deception. The antonym is 「導く」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 人ひとの考かんがえを混乱こんらんさせる。
2. 騙だます。