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Synonyms

confusion

American  
[kuhn-fyoo-zhuhn] / kənˈfyu ʒən /

noun

  1. the act of confusing. confusing.

  2. the state of being confused.

    Synonyms:
    distraction

  3. disorder; upheaval; tumult; chaos.

    The army retreated in confusion.
    Synonyms:
    disarray, mess, jumble, turmoil

  4. lack of clearness or distinctness.

    a confusion in his mind between right and wrong.

  5. perplexity; bewilderment.

    The more difficult questions left us in complete confusion.

  6. embarrassment or abashment.

    He blushed in confusion.
    Synonyms:
    mortification, shame

  7. Psychiatry. a disturbed mental state; disorientation.

  8. Archaic. defeat, overthrow, or ruin.

confusion British  
/ kənˈfjuːʒən /

noun

  1. the act of confusing or the state of being confused

  2. disorder; jumble

  3. bewilderment; perplexity

  4. lack of clarity; indistinctness

  5. embarrassment; abashment

"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

Other Word Forms

  • confusional adjective
  • preconfusion noun
  • reconfusion noun
  • superconfusion noun

Etymology

Origin of confusion

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin confūsiōn-, stem of confūsiō “disorder, mixture,” literally “a mixing,” from confūs(us) “mixed” (past participle of cōnfundere; confound ) + -iō -ion

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.

The confusion traces back to events that happened long before the fossil formed.

From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026

“Apathy and confusion abound, and in our view, investors need to stay selective and have some patience,” he said in a note released Saturday.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

That information reporting is a cornerstone of tax compliance, and without it, confusion and fudging can take hold.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

There was confusion over which buttons to press as they wrestled with the mystery of how to reload a SmarTrip card—all of it intensified by the prospect of missing their train.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

He takes it from me, his look of confusion now mixed with concern.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

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.