- present participle of confuse.
confusing
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of confusing
Explanation
Something that's confusing doesn't make any sense — it perplexes you. A confusing, hand-drawn map might lead you in circles as you try to find your destination. It can be confusing to walk out of a dark movie theater into the bright sunlight, or to get a phone call from someone whose voice you don't recognize. Situations like this disorient you a little bit. Things that are difficult and complicated, like a really hard math test, can also be confusing. The adjective comes from confuse, which has a Latin root, confundere, "mingle together."
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.
Ockwell-Smith says the volume of advice can be "deafening and confusing".
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Many consumers struggle to distinguish between minimally processed and highly processed products due to confusing labels and marketing practices.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
"These cats are confusing because they look so similar and there are few specimens in museums, so even now we are still learning how to tell them apart as genetics reveal more species," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
This is where things get confusing, as three days after the Missouri Supreme Court issued its ruling, Hoskins ran to the U.S.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Unfortunately, the room was full of confusing odors—popcorn, tomato sauce of tacos eaten by those who bought school lunches, peanut butter, bologna, egg, orange, banana eaten by those who brought lunches from home.
From "Ralph S. Mouse" by Beverly Cleary
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.
