confused

1 of 2

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

confused

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of confuse

Synonyms of confused

Adjective

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

Examples of confused in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

Call them wrong, or confused, or uninformed, but these are the voters who decide elections. — Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026

The Londoner walked away looking only slightly less confused. — Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026

Hamilton is irresistible as Rose, and Banderas and Birthistle are excellent here, as are Corberó and Kene as the confused new partners in their lives. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026

Exposure isn’t development—and the two get confused constantly. — Joy Nissen, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English — more at confuse

First Known Use

Adjective

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