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.
They include “unexplained withdrawals or transfers from bank accounts; sudden changes to wills, trusts or beneficiary designations; bills going unpaid; confusion about financial transactions; isolation from family members or reluctance to discuss money.”
From MarketWatch
For a brief moment, we have Hamnet’s perspective, but it is just that: brief, only enough time to watch Jupe’s bright, cherubic expression replaced by fear and confusion.
From Salon
When influencers don't disclose the use of AI - it can cause confusion.
From BBC
As with the adoption of Casual Fridays, the first sally in the contemporary battle for comfort, there remains confusion as to what exactly constitutes acceptable office attire.
Some confusion follows between Voloshyn and Gill about how much cash Gill had been given.
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.
