confused

adjective con·fused \ kən-ˈfyüzd \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of confused

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

play \kən-ˈfyü-zəd-lē, -ˈfyüzd-\ adverb

—

confusedness

play \kən-ˈfyü-zəd-nəs, -ˈfyüz(d)-\ noun

See confused defined for English-language learners

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 of confused from the Web

My mom would walk into a room, look confused, then walk back out, saying nothing at all.

— as told to stephanie booth, Health.com, "This Bride Planned Her Wedding in a Month So Her Mom With Alzheimer’s Disease Could Watch Her Say ‘I Do’," 17 Aug. 2017
At this point, a person’s skin begins to feel hot and appear red, and a person suffering heatstroke may appear confused, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

— josh funk, The Seattle Times, "Immigrant deaths in tractor-trailer highlight danger of heat," 23 July 2017
This unscientific product of misandrist feminism and confused transgenderism is striding through the culture, and close to no one in the elite is prepared to resist it.

— andrew sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "The Triumph of Obama’s Long Game," 21 July 2017
Season 7 of Game of Thrones premiered Sunday night and as excited as some fans are, others a bit confused.

— vanityfair.com, "Aidan Gillen a.k.a. Littlefinger recaps Season 6 in five minutes.," 17 July 2017
One confused resident called up the executive director of the Menomonee Club to ask if that meant people would be building bombs in the basement.

— aimee levitt, Chicago Reader, "Books / News / Politics Buena Park to Haymarket Books: We don’t want you here," 17 July 2017
Les Miles had his long, winding stories that entertained as well as confused.

— adam sparks, The Courier-Journal, "SEC Media Days: Expect crazy fans, outspoken coaches, football talk," 9 July 2017
Other politicians also spoke out against the merger, though some confused Time Warner with Time Warner Cable so have since backed off the rhetoric.

— paul bond, The Hollywood Reporter, "Sun Valley Summit: Potential Deal Discussions Could Turn Political," 7 July 2017
Tembeckjian told Smith to call 911, and then noticed that Smith was confused, staggering, and nearly fell on his way to a curb, Tembeckjian told PBSO.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "PBSO captain accused of DUI after smashing into motorcyclist," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'confused.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of confused

Middle English — more at confuse

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First Known Use: 14th century

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confused Synonyms

CONFUSED Defined for English Language Learners

confused

adjective

Definition of confused for English Language Learners

: unable to understand or think clearly
: difficult to understand : not clearly organized, expressed, etc.

Medical Dictionary

confused

adjective con·fused \ kən-ˈfyüzd \

medical Definition of confused

:affected with mental confusion

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confusedly

confusedness

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confused Synonyms

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CONFUSED Defined for English Language Learners

confused

Definition of confused for English Language Learners

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confused

medical Definition of confused

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