confused

adjective

con·​fused kən-ˈfyüzd 

1

a

: being perplexed or disconcerted

the confused students

b

: disoriented with regard to one's sense of time, place, or identity

The patient became confused.

2

: indistinguishable

… a zigzag, crisscross, confused trail …

—Harry Hervey

3

: being disordered or mixed up

a contradictory and often confused story

confusedly

kən-ˈfyü-zəd-lē 

-ˈfyüzd-

adverb

confusedness

kən-ˈfyü-zəd-nəs 

-ˈfyüz(d)-

noun

Synonyms of confused

• messy
• chaotic
• littered
• jumbled
• sloppy
• cluttered
• messed
• muddled
• filthy

Examples of confused in a Sentence

I've never been so confused.

We're confused about what to do next.

He gave a confused speech denying the accusations.

Recent Examples on the Web

After analyzing everything from Substack posts to my group chats, my hottest take is that everyone is simply confused. —Irene Richardson, InStyle, 6 June 2026

The man didn’t appear to make contact with any of the players during his few seconds on court, with replays showing Wembanyama smiling and looking confused. —Ben Church, CNN Money, 4 June 2026

All the while, Upper West Side locals walked their little white dogs and hauled Fairway groceries past the throngs, looking confused. —Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 3 June 2026

The entire, chaotic saga—a wishy-washy White House, confused statements from populist and tech-elite Trump whisperers—is only the latest in a long string of strange, often contradictory AI-policy positions. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English — more at confuse

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for confused

• disabused
• overused
• underused
• unexcused
• abused
• accused
• amused
• bemused
• contused
• defused
• diffused
• disused

Medical Definition

confused

adjective

con·​fused kən-ˈfyüzd 

: affected with mental confusion