惑わす

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 惑わす is read as まどわす and is a transitive verb for misleading, confusing, or causing someone to lose direction.
• Basic usage: The affected person appears in 消費者を惑わす, while the related form 惑わせる appears in 登山者を惑わせる.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Difference from 迷う
  • 迷う is intransitive and presents a person hesitating or getting lost; 惑わす presents an outside cause confusing that person.
• Misleading and disorientation
  • It can describe distorted judgment caused by information or literal disorientation caused by conditions such as fog.