past and past participle
Made someone unable to understand something clearly or know what to do.
The unclear instructions confused me.
She has confused everyone with her explanation.
American English
How to pronounce confused
verb · adjectiveB1Common word
knFYOOZD
/kʰn̩ˈfjuzd̚/
2 syllables · Stress the second syllable.
Form of confuse
This spelling is used both as a verb form and as an adjective.
Made someone unable to understand something clearly or know what to do.
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
past and past participle
Mistook one person or thing for another person or thing, often because they were similar.
I confused the two addresses.
The two names have been confused for years.
Good to know
Use confuse A with B when you mistake A for B.
adjective
Unable to think clearly, or not clear and well organized.
I am confused about the new instructions.
The report gives a confused picture of the problem.
Good to know
As an adjective, confused describes a state or condition, not an action.
Useful expressions
to become unable to understand something clearly
I get confused when the directions change.
not be sure about something or not understand it
She is confused about the new schedule.
to make a problem or situation less clear
That extra detail only confused the issue.
Related words & forms
The final e is dropped before -ing: confusing.