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

The next thing Aaron remembers was waking up in severe pain and confused. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Agents working with lower-risk candidates may simply be fellow migrants who speak Thai and can help confused and scared people navigate a complex bureaucracy. — Andrew Nachemson, The Dial, 22 Sep. 2026

This is why localization and sovereignty keep getting confused. — Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026

But Volvo seems to have confused minimalism with elimination. — New Atlas, 21 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