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

"My symptoms worsened over about three months including severe headaches, my speech became affected as well as my balance and I was getting confused."

From BBC

Even a former Kentucky district attorney, who brags that he “got a lot of attaboys” for partnering with NBC, softens his tough talk while watching outtakes of a soft-spoken and seemingly very confused arrestee.

From Los Angeles Times

The lack of self-control was unforgivable, the look of confused innocence on his face in the aftermath a complete nonsense.

From BBC

For now, construction continues, often leaving travelers confused or lost when trying to find their correct gate or the way to a taxi or rideshare vehicle.

From Los Angeles Times

This approach should not be confused with toxic positivity, which is when people only look for the positive while negating any negative emotions.

From Salon

Related Words

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