confused

[kuhn-fyoozd]

adjective

1. not thinking coherently or rationally; bewildered; perplexed.

   My attempt to explain was met with confused stares and shrugging shoulders.

   Hopelessly confused, I just tossed my trash into what I thought was the right receptacle.

2. incorrectly differentiated, identified, or associated.

   You’re getting him confused with another player with the same name—this one plays for the Twins.

   In this lesson, students learn the frequently confused words their, they’re, and there.

3. without order; jumbled.

   Over time, the original neat lines of tents grew into a confused tangle of canvas-roofed shelters.

   What was once an imposing fortress is now just a confused heap of erect and fallen stones.

4. disconcerted, perturbed, or ashamed.

   I emerged from the office red-faced and confused.

5. expressed in a way that is not easily understood.

   The novel plods along trying to provide hopelessly confused technical detail, much of which is blatantly impossible according to the elementary laws of physics.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of confuse.

Other Word Forms

• confusedly adverb
• confusedness noun
• preconfusedly adverb
• superconfused adjective
• unconfused adjective
• unconfusedly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of confused¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; confuse ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; confuse ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

I fear we are turning out the most confused generation, with an affliction of contradiction.

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“Our neighborhood is mostly police officers, firefighters, doctors, nurses, teachers, and so we’re so confused by it,” Reed said.

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Moments later, the confused bear scratched the homeowner’s wife before bolting back outside after the couple’s granddaughter opened doors and windows to create an exit.

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But it’s a funny, beautifully acted depiction of confused romance and the complex bonds of family.

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“You must have me confused with someone you can talk back to.”

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Related Words

• baffled 
• befuddled 
• bewildered 
• dazed 
• disorganized 
• distracted 
• muddled 
• perplexed 
• perturbed 
• puzzled www.thesaurus.com