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

Mikell Taylor, director of robotics strategy at General Motors, recounted hearing that a Zoox robotaxi recently stopped at a Las Vegas crosswalk and wouldn’t budge, leaving pedestrians confused and guessing. —Eric Sullivan, Scientific American, 6 Jan. 2026

The family believes Dan experienced a possible stroke or medical event that left him confused and disoriented before his disappearance. —Sarah Dahlberg, NBC news, 6 Jan. 2026

Video footage from the rescue showed a firefighter wading towards the confused animal and grabbing it before the two were pulled back to the shore via the attached ropes. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026

While my mind had got the memo, my body was clearly confused. —Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 3 Jan. 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