Meaning of confuse in English

Table of contents

Verb
confuse
Etymology
Middle English (in the sense ‘rout, bring to ruin’): from Old French confus, from Latin confusus, past participle of confundere‘mingle together’ (see confound). Originally all senses of the verb were passive, and therefore appeared only as the past participle confused; the active voice occurred rarely until the 19th century when it began to replace confound
Definitions
1. mistake one thing for another
Examples
- « you are confusing me with the other candidate »
- « I mistook her for the secretary »
Derived terms
- confusion
- mix-up
2. be confusing or perplexing to
Examples
- « cause to be unable to think clearly »
- « These questions confuse even the experts »
- « This question completely threw me »
- « This question befuddled even the teacher »
Derived terms
3. cause to feel embarrassment
Examples
- « The constant attention of the young man confused her »
Derived terms
4. assemble without order or sense
Examples
- « She jumbles the words when she is supposed to write a sentence »
Derived terms
5. make unclear or incomprehensible
Examples
- « The new tax return forms only confuse »
6. make unclear, indistinct, or blurred
Examples
- « Her remarks confused the debate »
- « Their words obnubilate their intentions »

Famous quotes

« As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by destroying it. Words are to confuse, so that at election time people will solemnly vote against their own interests. »
Gore Vidal
« Representation of the world, like the world itself, is the work of men they describe it from their own point of view, which they confuse with the absolute truth. »
Simone de Beauvoir
« We must recover the element of quality in our traditional pursuit of equality. We must not, in opening our schools to everyone, confuse the idea that all should have equal chance with the notion that all have equal endowments. »
Adlai E. Stevenson
« We have a country to turn around. This week you will nominate the most experienced executive to seek the presidency in 60 years in Mitt Romney. He has no illusions about what makes America great, and he doesn't confuse the presidency with celebrity, or loftiness with leadership. »
Artur Davis
« This week you will nominate the most experienced executive to seek the presidency in 60 years in Mitt Romney. He has no illusions about what makes America great, and he doesn't confuse the presidency with celebrity, or loftiness with leadership. »
Artur Davis