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

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

The home appeared on Zillow Gone Wild, a Facebook page that highlights unique houses on the real estate market, and people were a little confused about the interior style. —Tj MacIas 10, Miami Herald, 10 July 2025

Everyone was very confused about whether the watch’s band could be resized because only one kind of wrist was shown in the commercial. —Seth Reiss, New Yorker, 10 July 2025

But a lot of them were still confused about the main idea of a paragraph. —NBC news, 6 July 2025

Typically, the meetings aren't well-attended, and the board regularly seems confused on how to proceed through its meetings without breaking Ohio's sunshine laws. —Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 3 July 2025

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