confusing
[ kuh n-fyoo-zing ]
/ kənˈfyu zɪŋ /
adjective
causing or tending to cause confusion: a confusing attempt at explanation.
RELATED CONTENT
Should You Say “Between You And I” Or “Between You And Me”?Why are there different ways of saying the same thing? Grammar is a combination of rules and conventions. What’s the difference? Well, the rules are things like a verb must agree with its subject. By that rule, “he say” is incorrect. Then there are conventions, which are uses of language that are common enough that even though they break the “rules” they become “correct” simply …
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
confucius, confuse, confused, confused elderly, confused flour beetle, confusing, confusion, confusticate, confutation, confute, cong
Related forms
con·fus·ing·ly, adverbcon·fus·ing·ness, nounun·con·fus·ing, adjectiveDefinition for confusing (2 of 2)
confuse
[ kuhn-fyooz ]
/ kənˈfyuz /
verb (used with object), con·fused, con·fus·ing.
to perplex or bewilder: The flood of questions confused me.
to make unclear or indistinct: The rumors and angry charges tended to confuse the issue.
to fail to distinguish between; associate by mistake; confound: to confuse dates; He always confuses the twins.
to disconcert or abash: His candor confused her.
to combine without order; jumble; disorder: Try not to confuse the papers on the desk.
Archaic. to bring to ruin or naught.
Origin of confuse
SYNONYMS FOR confuse
Related forms
Synonym study
1. Confuse, disconcert, embarrass imply temporary interference with the clear working of one's mind. To confuse is to produce a general bewilderment: to confuse someone by giving complicated directions. To disconcert is to disturb one's mind by irritation, perplexities, etc.: to disconcert someone by asking irrelevant questions. To embarrass is to cause one to be ill at ease or uncomfortable, so that one's usual judgment and presence of mind desert one: to embarrass someone by unexpected rudeness.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for confusing
British Dictionary definitions for confusing (1 of 2)
confusing
/ (kənˈfjuːzɪŋ) /
adjective
causing bewilderment; difficult to follow; puzzling
Derived Forms
confusingly, adverbBritish Dictionary definitions for confusing (2 of 2)
confuse
/ (kənˈfjuːz) /
verb (tr)
to bewilder; perplex
to mix up (things, ideas, etc); jumble
to make unclearhe confused his talk with irrelevant details
to fail to recognize the difference between; mistake (one thing) for another
to disconcert; embarrass
to cause to become disorderedthe enemy ranks were confused by gas
Derived Forms
confusable, adjective, nounconfusability, nounWord Origin for confuse
C18: back formation from confused, from Latin confūsus mingled together, from confundere to pour together; see confound
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012