confusion
Americannoun
-
the state of being confused.
- Synonyms:
- distraction
-
disorder; upheaval; tumult; chaos.
The army retreated in confusion.
-
lack of clearness or distinctness.
a confusion in his mind between right and wrong.
-
perplexity; bewilderment.
The more difficult questions left us in complete confusion.
-
embarrassment or abashment.
He blushed in confusion.
- Synonyms:
- mortification, shame
-
Psychiatry. a disturbed mental state; disorientation.
-
Archaic. defeat, overthrow, or ruin.
noun
-
the act of confusing or the state of being confused
-
disorder; jumble
-
bewilderment; perplexity
-
lack of clarity; indistinctness
-
embarrassment; abashment
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.
Additionally, some data were collected on a bimonthly basis, which means the effects of the shutdown confusion haven’t completely unwound.
From Barron's
Old Joseph shook his head, his eyes searching my face in confusion.
From Literature
“I think it is intentionally vague and it is a deliberate attempt to cause pressure and confusion,” they continued.
From Salon
Otherwise, there can be power struggles, misalignment in vision, and confusion amongst the wider company.
From BBC
The password reset emails coupled with the Malwarebytes warning has prompted confusion for thousands of people on social media.
From BBC
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.
