Confuse

/kənˈfjuːz/

Meaning & Definition

verb

to make (someone) unable to think clearly or understand something.

The directions were so complicated that they managed to confuse everyone in the group.

to mistakenly identify as something else.

He often confuses the names of his childhood friends.

to mix up or be unable to distinguish between two or more things.

She confused the two similar-looking plants and ended up watering the wrong one.

to make a situation more complicated or difficult to understand.

His explanation only served to confuse the issue further.

Middle English, from the Latin 'confundere', meaning 'to pour together'

confuse the issue

to make a situation more complicated or unclear

confuse (someone) with (something)

to mistakenly believe that a person or thing is something else

baffled

unable to understand or explain something

bewildered

feeling confused or disoriented

muddle

to bring into a disordered or confusing state

loss of clarity

That lesson really confused me; I didn't get any of it.

to mix up two or more things

I totally confused their names during the introductions.