confusion
Americannoun
-
confusion
plural
-
the act of confusing.
-
the state of being confused.
- Synonyms:
- distraction
-
disorder; upheaval; tumult; chaos.
The army retreated in confusion.
-
lack of clearness or distinctness.
a confusion in his mind between right and wrong.
-
perplexity; bewilderment.
The more difficult questions left us in complete confusion.
-
embarrassment or abashment.
He blushed in confusion.
- Synonyms:
- mortification, shame
-
Psychiatry. a disturbed mental state; disorientation.
-
Archaic. defeat, overthrow, or ruin.
noun
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the act of confusing or the state of being confused
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disorder; jumble
-
bewilderment; perplexity
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lack of clarity; indistinctness
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embarrassment; abashment
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of confusion
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin confūsiōn-, stem of confūsiō “disorder, mixture,” literally “a mixing,” from confūs(us) “mixed” (past participle of cōnfundere; see confound) + -iō -ion
Explanation
If things are a little hazy and you're not quite sure what's going on, you're in a state of confusion. Confusion involves disorder, whether it's mixed up thoughts or plain old chaos. If everyone is screaming and running around, there's a lot of confusion. If you don't understand a math problem, you could be in a state of confusion. Mixing up two people who look alike is another type of confusion. If someone wants to make something very clear, they might say, "Let me clear up any confusion."
Vocabulary lists containing confusion
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act IV
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 4
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Part 1 Vocabulary (Unit 3)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I think that there's a strategy to divide and conquer and to create a very contrived confusion," he argues.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
There was also confusion at Southend Airport, which is on the affected train line.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The confusion for investors stems from Wall Street’s chaotic methods for tracking earnings beats and misses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
It is also a live demonstration of Dixon’s argument: When the rules change midstream, confusion does not merely accompany the process.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
Then, when I didn’t move, her confusion shifted into irritation, an expression I knew so well.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
