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

Indeed, Mary Hartman was a confused—and confusing—protagonist for a country in the midst of second-wave feminism. —Literary Hub, 18 May 2026

This is cute, though judging from fan response online a lot of people are confused and have been reading way too much into it. —Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026

Lawsuits have been filed in response and some, including Cassidy and Fleming, warn the move is leaving voters confused. —Gaby Vinick, ABC News, 16 May 2026

And the election data completely undermines the argument that voters were confused. —Jovani Patterson, Baltimore Sun, 16 May 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