confused
pronunciation
How to pronounce confused in British English:
UK [kənˈfjuːzd]
How to pronounce confused in American English:
US [kənˈfjuːzd]
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- Adjective:
- perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
- lacking orderly continuity
- having lost your bearings; confused as to time or place or personal identity
- thrown into a state of disarray or confusion
- mentally confused; unable to think with clarity or act intelligently
Word Origin
- confused (adj.)
- early 14c., "discomfited, routed, defeated" (of groups), serving at first as an alternative past participle of confound, as Latin confusus was the past participle of confundere "to pour together, mix, mingle; to join together;" hence, figuratively, "to throw into disorder; to trouble, disturb, upset." The Latin past participle also was used as an adjective, with reference to mental states, "troubled, embarrassed," and this passed into Old French as confus "dejected, downcast, undone, defeated, discomfited in mind or feeling," which passed to Middle English as confus (14c.; for example Chaucer's "I am so confus, that I may not seye"), which then was assimilated to the English past participle pattern by addition of -ed. Of individuals, "discomfited in mind, perplexed," from mid-14c.; of ideas, speech, thought, etc., from 1610s. By mid-16c., the word seems to have been felt as a pure adj., and it evolved a back-formed verb in confuse. Few English etymologies are more confused.
Example
- 1. The old man was confused by this .
- 2. Data for emerging markets shows a similarly confused picture .
- 3. Please help . I 'm totally confused .
- 4. A related idea is that a confused facial expression alerts others to help the confused person .
- 5. There is concern that public health messages about the severity of the virus have become confused .