- 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.
Although there weren’t many of them numerically, the errors that the A.I. did make were confusing and bewildering enough to be disqualifying.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
Dobson replied: "I can't recall anything specific that was said. I only remember the atmosphere and panicked, urgent. Feeling tense and confusing."
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Ockwell-Smith says the volume of advice can be "deafening and confusing".
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
And, as I explained in my last column, bond gauges offer some confusing contradictions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
It had certainly been an exciting morning for him, but a confusing one, too.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
