confuse en · VERB · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /kənˈfjuz/ (Canada, General-American)
- /kənˈfjʉːz/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /kənˈfjuːz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Back-formation from confused, from Middle English confused (“frustrated, ruined”), from Anglo-Norman confus, from Latin cōnfūsus, past participle of cōnfundō.
Meanings
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(transitive) To puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder (somebody); to afflict by being complicated, contradictory, or otherwise difficult to understand.
It confused me when I went to the office and nobody was there, but then I realised it was Sunday.
President Donald Trump’s offer to most federal employees to resign now and be paid through September stunned the workers who received it – angering some, confusing many and raising questions about whether the offer is even legal.
2025 February 1, Tami Luhby, Eric Bradner and Rene Marsh, “Federal employees confused, angered by Trump’s offer to quit”, in CNN:"What confuses me is how other insurance companies knew about it," said Zhang, a 26-year-old government employee from Shandong.
2018 August 23, Engen Tham, “Data dump: China sees surge in personal information up for sale”, in Reuters:
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(transitive) To mix up, muddle up (one thing with another); to mistake (one thing for another).
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Saturday questioned Donald Trump’s mental fitness after he appeared to confuse her with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi when talking about the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. […] “They’re saying he got confused. That he was talking about something else. That he was talking about Nancy Pelosi. He mentioned me multiples times in that scenario,” the former South Carolina governor added.
2024 January 20, Ebony Davis, “Haley questions Trump’s mental fitness after he confuses her with Nancy Pelosi”, in CNN:People who say "hola" to Italians are confusing Italian with Spanish.
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(transitive) To mix thoroughly; to confound; to disorder.
The dense fog utterly confused traffic on the highway.
- (dated, transitive) To make uneasy and ashamed; to embarrass.
- (obsolete, transitive) To rout; discomfit.
- (intransitive) To be confused.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| confuses | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| confusing | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| confused | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| confused | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Antonyms
mediate · judicate · stabilize · enlighten · clarify · reconcile · distinguish · organise · organize · inspire
Deriveds
confusopoly · confusement · confusability · unconfuse · reconfuse · confusible · confusable · confuser · confuddle · coonfuse · deconfuse · confuzzle
Hyponyms
Relateds
confusing · discombobulate · confused · throw somebody for a loop · confusion · get one's wires crossed · surprising · conflate · be at a loss for words · leave speechless · blur · have one's wires crossed · to get turned around · throw somebody a curve · surprise
Synonyms
stick · perplex · embroil · complicate · ferhoodle · knot · puzzle · mix up · muddle · lose · bumfuzzle · dumbfound · mistake · baffle · flurry · confuse · fuddle · bemuse · bedevil · flummox · muddy · bamboozle · bemud · blind · throw · flabbergast · disconcert · confound · fluster · jumble · baffound · flabbergaster · vex · ravel · discombobulate · stump · flabagast · confuzzle · addle · befuddle · entangle · bewilder · dazzle · confuddle
Translations (132)
mk буни (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · bg размесвам (to mix thoroughly) · uk плутати (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · sv förväxla (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · nb blande sammen (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · no blande (to mix thoroughly) · es confundir (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · fi nolata (to embarrass) · gd cuir tro-chèile (to mix thoroughly) · fi saattaa hämilleen (to embarrass) · sv förväxla (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · az çaşdırmaq (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · da forvirre (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · es barahustar (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · de konfundieren (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · pt misturar (to mix thoroughly) · sv förvirra (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · it confondere (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · ka დაბნევა (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · ar حَيَّرَ (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · nl in de war brengen (to mix thoroughly) · la cōnfundō (to mix thoroughly) · fi sotkea (to mix thoroughly) · nl verwisselen (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · fi sekoittaa (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · no forveksle (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · nn blande saman (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · fi sekoittaa perusteellisesti (to mix thoroughly) · ca confondre (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · ca confondre (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · cs zaměnit (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · ka აერევა (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · bg обърквам (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · hu összetéveszt (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · hu összezavar (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · ru обозна́ться (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · fr confondre (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · az çaş-baş etmək (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · ru сме́шивать (to mix thoroughly) · es baraustar (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · sv blanda ihop (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · ru перепу́тать (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · fr confuser (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · qu arwiy (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · gd cuir tro-chèile (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · fi hämätä (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · nl dooreenhalen (to mix thoroughly) · ru запу́тать (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · eo konfuzi (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · ang mengan (to mix thoroughly) · nl verbijsteren (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · ang dwilman (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · bg смущавам (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · ru смуща́ть (to embarrass) · tr karıştırmak (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · pt confundir (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · nl verwarren (to mix thoroughly) · be пераблытаць (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · es confusionar (to mix thoroughly) · az karıxdırmaq (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · de jemanden in Verlegenheit f bringen (to embarrass) · yi צעמישן (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · ang sceamian (to embarrass) · fr rendre perplexe (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · ang scendan (to embarrass) · fi erehtyä (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · pt confundir (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · mi whakapōraru (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · is víxla (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · ru пу́тать (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · az qarışdırmaq (to mix thoroughly) · nl verwarren (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · bg обърквам (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · be блытаць (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · nl door elkaar halen (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · nl in de war brengen (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · mi whakapōkīkī (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · el συγχέω (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · el προκαλώ αμηχανία (to embarrass) · ja 混乱させる (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · ru пу́тать (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · ja 混同する (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · ang formengan (to mix thoroughly) · no bringe noen i forlegenhet (to embarrass) · ja 混乱させる (to embarrass) · hu összekavar (to mix thoroughly) · fi sekoittaa (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · nl verwarren (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · pl pomylić (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · bg смущавам (to embarrass) · kea baradja (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · el μπερδεύω (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · uk переплутати (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · es confundir (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · de verwirren (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · sip དཀྲུགས (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · hu összekever (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · da bringe en i forlegenhed (to embarrass) · no forvirre (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · hu összekever (to mix thoroughly) · nl dooreenhalen (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · cs zmást (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · cs splést (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · fi saada ymmälleen (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · nl in de war brengen (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · sv blanda (to mix thoroughly) · el σαστίζω (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · de vermischen (to mix thoroughly) · he בלבל (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · es barajustar (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · ang mengan (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · mi whakananu (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · cmn 讓……困惑 /让……困惑 (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · fi saada hämilleen (to embarrass) · la cōnfundō (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · ru спу́тать (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · ko 혼란시키다 (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · cmn 攪亂 /搅乱 (to mix thoroughly) · da forveksle (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · ar أَرْبَكَ (to embarrass) · pl zmieszać (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · ar أَرْبَكَ (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · fr confusionner (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · pt envergonhar (to embarrass) · fr confondre (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · eo konfuzi (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · cmn 混淆 (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · de verwechseln (to mix up / muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another) · he בלבל (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · ro încurca (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody) · fi sekoittaa (to mix thoroughly) · it confondere (to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody)