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
But people on the streets of Dorohusk seemed more confused about their options in case of a real attack. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026 Amid the legalese and partisan arguments surrounding such cases, American voters are both confused and concerned about the trustworthiness of the country’s election processes. — The Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
Customers are most commonly confused about product information, making in-store education a powerful converter, or how to choose the right shade of a makeup product, according to the survey. — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026 Motion vectors are used in graphics to describe how an object or pixel moves and in what direction (not to be confused with vector graphics). — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 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
  • Nonna’s Meatball Sandwich Making meatballs at home can be a messy, overwhelming task.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The actors split in 2016, following 12 years together in total, although their messy divorce was only finalized in December 2024.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of messy
Adjective
  • But Iñárritu’s caricatures become people in a way Kubrick’s don’t; as the bewildered President, for example, John Goodman is simultaneously grounded and theatrical in his presentation, recalling his best work with the Coen brothers.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Five o’clock Saturday, the Riverside Stadium and Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg is fist-pumping a half-bewildered but fully enthused home crowd.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of bewildered
Verb
  • He was puzzled when, after 2021, the number of children going into foster care dropped, but the state's costs for child welfare were rising.
    — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The photo also showed two others associated with Kremlev, part of a larger group of Russians whose presence puzzled some attendees.
    — Alex Mierjeski, ProPublica, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of puzzled
Verb
  • That not only put him at odds with public opinion, but complicated the lives of fellow Republicans eager to escape a backlash that's making a dire GOP election situation even worse.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And the trade war with Canada has complicated the American seafood industry’s relationship with a country it has long been interconnected with, fishermen said.
    — Patrick Whittle, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of complicated
Verb
  • The agents mistook the man for the fugitive, the agent told police.
    — Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The incident comes about a year after a teenager died in rural Iowa, after he was shot by a fellow hunter who apparently mistook him for a squirrel.
    — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of mistook
Verb
  • Over two games in Tampa, the Rays had embarrassed the Yankees – nearly no hitting them in Game 1 and putting the ball in play and watching the errors ensue in Game 2.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Philadelphia embarrassed itself in a non-competitive loss at Chicago on Monday night, unable to go drive-for-drive with journeyman quarterback Case Keenum, a 38-year-old backup’s backup.
    — Andy Behrens, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of embarrassed
Verb
  • Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine disrupted steel supplies, upended supply chains, and sent costs soaring.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Drought has disrupted berry crops and other natural food sources that bears depend on, sending them closer to humans and into garage cans, bird feeders and chicken coops.
    — N. Kirkpatrick, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of disrupted
Adjective
  • But the image that stays with me is of a meeting with Olga, climbing the winding stairs of our little building for a somewhat chaotic coffee in the festival’s office.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Explore See latest videos, charts and news Turnstile is the first hardcore band to appear on SNL since Fear’s famously chaotic performance back in 1981.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 2 Oct. 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 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All