derange

/dɪˈɹeɪnd͡ʒ/

//dɪˈɹeɪnd͡ʒ// verb

"derange" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“derange” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cause (someone) to go insane or become deranged.

Corpus desk

Index EN-derange · derange · English

derange · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "D" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for derange
PropertyValue
Headwordderange
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈɹeɪnd͡ʒ/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “derange” in English

derangeranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

derange is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /dɪˈɹeɪnd͡ʒ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for derange, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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). The correct English form is derange, spelled D-E-R-A-N-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cause (someone) to go insane or become deranged.
  2. 2
    To cause disorder in (something); to distort from its ideal state.
  3. 3
    To cause to malfunction or become inoperative.
  4. 4
    To disrupt (somebody's) plans, to inconvenience; to derail.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how derange appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Both these kinds of monopolies derange more or less the natural distribution of the stock of the society;
  2. 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 o…

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).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "derange"?
"derange" is spelled D-E-R-A-N-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈɹeɪnd͡ʒ/.
What does "derange" mean?
As a verb, "derange" means: To cause (someone) to go insane or become deranged.
How do you pronounce "derange"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "derange" is /dɪˈɹeɪnd͡ʒ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "derange"?
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). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list