confuse

[ kuhn-fyooz ]

verb (used with object)

, con·fused, con·fus·ing.

1. to perplex or bewilder:

   The flood of questions confused me.

   Synonyms: nonplus, mystify

2. to make unclear or indistinct:

   The rumors and angry charges tended to confuse the issue.

3. to fail to distinguish between; associate by mistake; confound:

   to confuse dates;

   He always confuses the twins.

4. to disconcert or abash:

   His candor confused her.

   Synonyms: shame, mortify, embarrass

5. to combine without order; jumble; disorder:

   Try not to confuse the papers on the desk.

   Synonyms: disturb, disarrange, disarray

6. Archaic. to bring to ruin or naught.

confuse

/ kənˈfjuːz /

verb

1. to bewilder; perplex
2. to mix up (things, ideas, etc); jumble
3. to make unclear

   he confused his talk with irrelevant details

4. to fail to recognize the difference between; mistake (one thing) for another
5. to disconcert; embarrass
6. to cause to become disordered

   the enemy ranks were confused by gas

Derived Forms

• conˌfusaˈbility, noun
• conˈfusable, adjectivenoun

Other Words From

• con·fus·a·ble adjective
• con·fus·a·bil·i·ty [k, uh, n-fyoo-z, uh, -, bil, -i-tee], noun
• con·fus·a·bly adverb
• pre·con·fuse verb (used with object) preconfused preconfusing
• re·con·fuse verb (used with object) reconfused reconfusing
• un·con·fus·a·ble adjective
• un·con·fus·a·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of confuse¹

First recorded in 1300–50; from Old French confus “perplexed,” from Latin confūsus “mixed, poured,” past participle of confundere; confound

Word History and Origins

Origin of confuse¹

C18: back formation from confused, from Latin confūsus mingled together, from confundere to pour together; see confound

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Could Thomas Tuchel possibly be more confused about who to pick?

From BBC

Bass recalled her House colleagues regularly confusing her with Congresswomen Marsha Fudge of Ohio and Barbara Lee of Oakland, who are also Black.

From Los Angeles Times

When attempting to detect skin cancers, for example, mistakes are often made by the human examiners who confuse very similar-looking but harmless conditions with potentially fatal melanomas.

From Science Daily

Politics have been confusing and uncertain in France and Venezuela since the countries held elections this summer.

From NewsForKids.net

Politics have been confusing and uncertain in France and Venezuela since the countries held elections this summer.

From NewsForKids.net

Related Words

• amaze
• astonish
• baffle
• befuddle
• bemuse
• complicate
• confound
• daze
• demoralize
• disconcert
• disorient
• distract
• embarrass
• fluster
• frustrate
• involve
• misinform
• mislead
• mortify
• muddle