confused 1 of 2

adjective

kən-ˈfyüzd How to pronounce confused (audio)
Definition of confusednext
1
as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness the cans were lying in a confused jumble in the basement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion she was briefly confused after her fall from the horse

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

confused

2 of 2

verb

past tense of confuse
1
as in puzzled
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty the similar-sounding words "censure" and "censor" often confuse people

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in complicated
to make (something) unclear to the understanding stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mistook
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related a lot of people confuse popular fame with enduring achievement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in embarrassed
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress she was confused by the shocking bluntness of his marriage proposal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in disrupted
to undo the proper order or arrangement of vandals had hopelessly confused the papers in the office files

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of confused
Adjective
In Timon, by contrast, everything is a rush, everything is broke-off and confused, everything is hurtling through suffering towards oblivion. — Literary Hub, 6 July 2026 But when non-negotiable tasks are framed as questions, children can become confused about whether the task is actually optional. — Siggie Cohen, CNBC, 4 July 2026
Verb
In an interview from a decade ago, Ousmane Dembele, then playing for Rennes, sounded confused about which was his preferred foot. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 7 July 2026 An executive at the sneaker company Vans has issued an apology after a collaboration with the streetwear brand Fugazi was confused for a collaboration with the legendary — and legendarily anti-consumerist — punk band Fugazi. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for confused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confused
  1. messy
  2. bewildered
  3. puzzled
  4. complicated
  5. mistook
  6. embarrassed
  7. disrupted
  8. chaotic
Adjective
  • Entrepreneurship or a portfolio of roles feels messier than earning a regular salary because the risk is more visible.
    — Henrik Totterman, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • Many real texts from family members are short, rushed and a little messy.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of messy
Adjective
  • Away from the bewildered rancher calling out in surprise, away from the Appaloosa.
    — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
  • Massachusetts State Police ushered thousands of bewildered attendees into the tunnel.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of bewildered
Verb
  • First, Miguel is puzzled when Chuy and his parents, Rosalío (Fernando Cuautl) and Margarita (Leidi Gutiérrez), abruptly leave town without warning.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 July 2026
  • Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Gold not glittering As for gold, while the yellow metal has traditionally been sought out by kings and paupers throughout history alike, the anaemic gold price has puzzled experts.
    — Lim Hui Jie,Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 July 2026
Definition of puzzled
Verb
  • Ormund’s conviction is complicated by the fact that his most powerful asset, Daeron, is a Targaryen by lineage.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 July 2026
  • Even before Pulte's appointment complicated its path to renewal, the law was already on a bumpy path as civil liberties-minded lawmakers in both parties demanded reforms on warrant requirements.
    — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Definition of complicated
Verb
  • Five seconds later, Trujillo was also hit — shot by an officer who, according to Chandler Police, mistook Trujillo for the suspect.
    — Laura Geller, CBS News, 13 July 2026
  • Foster’s songs became ubiquitous—people sometimes mistook them for folk songs even during his lifetime—and were performed everywhere from back porches to opera houses, in every genre imaginable.
    — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
Definition of mistook
Verb
  • Parenting advice has changed so much in even the last two decades that folks from older generations who raised seemingly healthy kids might feel left behind, embarrassed by their outdated opinions, or defensive of their own parenting choices.
    — Parents, Parents, 16 July 2026
  • Austin Theory, Maxxine Dupri, Bron Breakker and Logan Paul walked to the back glowing as the group embarrassed Otis and Akira Tozawa in the ring a few moments before.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of embarrassed
Verb
  • Residents from Minnesota to Washington, DC, told CNN the noxious air has disrupted their lives, seeping into everything from their health and leisure to their businesses and family life.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • The 1859 Carrington Event, the strongest geomagnetic storm on record, disrupted telegraph systems around the world and pushed auroras from their usual high-latitude skies near the Arctic and Antarctic to locations as far south as the tropics.
    — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of disrupted
Adjective
  • Interview with the Vampire’s composer Daniel Hart has taken the audience on a wonderfully chaotic journey through different styles of music in The Vampire Lestat.
    — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • The events surrounding the funeral were chaotic, with eight people killed and hundreds injured, according to a report written by the Associated Press news agency at the time.
    — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Definition of chaotic

Browse Nearby Words

confuse
confused
confusedly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Confused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confused. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on confused

Nglish: Translation of confused for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All