confused
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
disconcerted, perturbed, or ashamed.
I emerged from the office red-faced and confused.
-
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
Other Word Forms
- confusedly adverb
- confusedness noun
- preconfusedly adverb
- superconfused adjective
- unconfused adjective
- unconfusedly adverb
Etymology
Origin of confused
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Restaurants that have a smaller 3% charge to cover healthcare might leave customers confused on how to proceed.
From Los Angeles Times
"It's a confused mix of ambition and narcissism, unleavened by any effort at intellectual coherence," said Bruce Jones, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
From Barron's
And the public is left confused and ever less healthy.
From Los Angeles Times
His confused response to the issue led the school to investigate other elements of his CV, including his claims of holding a masters degree in history from Cambridge.
From BBC
It was weird how responsible he felt for the other two: plaintive, pitiful, confused Chip; naïve, gung-ho, enthusiastic Katherine.
From Literature
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.
