Confuse

Definition: Confuse

Confuse

Verb

1. Mistake one thing for another; "you are confusing me with the other candidate"; "I mistook her for the secretary".

2. Be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly: "These questions confuse even the experts"; "This question completely threw me"; "This question befuddled even the teacher".

3. Cause to feel embarrassment; "The constant attention of the young man confused her".

4. Assemble without order or sense; "She jumbles the words when she is supposed to write a sentence".

5. Make unclear or incomprehensible; "The new tax return forms only confuse".

6. Make unclear, indistinct, or blurred; "Her remarks confused the debate".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "confuse" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1050. (references)

Synonyms: Confuse

Arrangement

Verb: derange; disarrange, misarrange; displace, misplace; mislay, discompose, disorder; deorganize, discombobulate, disorganize; embroil, unsettle, disturb, confuse, trouble, perturb, jumble, tumble; shuffle, randomize; huddle, muddle, toss, hustle, fumble, riot; bring into disorder, put into disorder, throw into disorder; muss; break the ranks, disconcert, convulse; break in upon.

Humility

Render humble; humble, humiliate; let down, set down, take down, tread down, frown down; snub, abash, abase, make one sing small, strike dumb; teach one his distance; put down, take down a peg, take down a peg lower; throw into the shade, cast into the shade; stare out of countenance, put out of countenance; put to the blush; confuse, ashame, mortify, disgrace, crush; send away with a flea in one's ear.

Inattention

Call off the attention, draw off the attention, call away the attention, divert the attention, distract the mind; put out of one's head; disconcert, discompose; put out, confuse, perplex, bewilder, moider, fluster, muddle, dazzle; throw a sop to Cerberus.

Indiscrimination

Verb: not discriminate; overlook; (neglect) a distinction: confound, confuse.

Order

Adjective: orderly, regular; in order,in trim, in apple-pie order, in its proper place; neat, tidy, en regle, well regulated, correct, methodical, uniform, symmetrical, shipshape, businesslike, systematic; unconfused; (see confuse; ); arranged.

Uncertainty

Render uncertain; Adjective: put out, pose, puzzle, perplex, embarrass; confuse, confound; bewilder, bother, molder, addle the wits, throw off the scent, ambiguas in vulgus spargere voces; keep in suspense.

Unintelligibility

Render unintelligible; Adjective: conceal; darken; confuse; (derange); perplex; (bewilder)

Crosswords: Confuse

French (abashed, ashamedly, embarassed).

Well the smoke disorganizes and confuse the bees. (Jackass; writing credit: Donald Spoto; Eric Overmyer)

I'm afraid I'm not personally qualified to confuse cats, but I can recommend an extremely good service. (Monty Python's Flying Circus; writing credit: Douglas Adams; Graham Chapman)

Well spiders have a highly developed sense of smell the perfume might confuse them. (Eight Legged Freaks; writing credit: Ellory Elkayem; Randy Kornfield)

And I always confuse Monet and Manet. (Ocean's Eleven; writing credit: George Clayton Johnson; Jack Golden Russell)

Do not confuse luck with skill. (The Replacement Killers; writing credit: Ken Sanzel)

To confuse the issue I refer (Hook; performing artist: Blues Traveler)

These fickle, fuddled words confuse me (The Space Between; performing artist: Dave Matthews Band)

Priorities confuse the mind (Hole Hearted; performing artist: Extreme)

Trying not to confuse it with what you do to survive (RUNNING ON EMPTY; performing artist: JACKSON BROWN)

They're only in it to confuse you (Always in My Heart; performing artist: Tevin Campbell)

Never confuse having a career with having a life. (references; author: unknown)

Life lesson: You should not confuse your career with your life. (references; author: unknown)

To Confuse the Angel (1970)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Amazing Irv's Handbook of Everyday Magic: Tricks to Confuse, Amuse, and Entertain in Every Situation (reference)

• Conflicting Counsels to Confuse the Age: A Documentary Study of Political Economy in Qing China, 1644-1840 (Michigan Monographs in Chinese Studies nu (reference)

• How to Confuse the Idiots In Your Life (reference)

• More Amazing Magic: Fantastic Tricks to Amuse, Confuse and Mystify (reference)

• Nine Great American Myths: Ways We Confuse the American Dream With the Christian Faith (reference)

  (more book examples)

Music

• Confuse & Destroy [IMPORT] (reference)

• License to Confuse (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

It's important not to confuse the hairs on the siphon with the uniform, closely set teeth of the pecten row. Credit: CDC.

Photographed during World War I, with camouflage patterns painted on her hull and triangular baffles attached to her masts. Both were intended to confuse enemy range finders. Credit: NAVY.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

Do not confuse your serum creatinine number with your creatinine clearance number. (references)

Because your nose can get stuffy when you have a condition like the common cold, you may confuse simple nasal congestion with sinusitis. (references)

For example, some people may confuse the term Klinefelter syndrome with Down syndrome, a condition resulting in mild to moderate mental retardation. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Expressions using "confuse": become confuse ♦ confuse smb. ♦ confuse smb. with smb. ♦ confuse smb.'s mind ♦ confuse the issue ♦ see confuse. Additional references.

Afrikaans

verwar (entangle, implicate, puzzle). (various references)

Albanian

turpëroj (attaint, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, dishonour, humiliate, mortify, spot), turbulloj (abash, addle, alarm, confound, discomfit, disconcert, disquiet, embarrass, fog, muddy, obfuscate, obscure, perturb, rile, roil, trouble, unhinge, unsettle), pështjelloj, ngatërroj (bedevil, bewilder, complicate, confound, disorient, disorientate, disturb, embarrass, embrangle, embroil, entangle, entrap, flummox, fuddle, garble, hash, immerse, implicate, intricate, involve, jerk off, jumble, lug in, make a hash of cutting, make a mess of, mess about, mistake, mix up, monkey, muddle, muddy, put out, Ravel, snarl, tamper, tie up), hutoj (abash, baffle, befuddle, bewilder, confound, dash, disarray, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, disorient, disorientate, distract, floor, flummox, mystify, overwhelm, perplex, pose, puzzle, wilder), çrregulloj (derange, disarrange, disarray, dislocate, disorder, disorganize, disturb, downgrade, mess, rumple, tumble, upset). (various references)

Arabic 

‏تحير (confound, hesitate, scrabble about), ‏أربك (baffle, bamboozle, befuddle, bemuse, bewilder, bother, buffalo, confound, demoralize, discompose, disconcert, disorientate, embarrass, embrangle, entangle, floor, fluster, fox, fret, fuddle, gravel, molest, muckrake, mystify, nonplus, obfuscate, overwhelm, perplex, pose, put out, puzzle, ravel, show up, squirm, stop, stumble, stump, vex), ‏شوش (bedevil, befuddle, blanket, demoralize, derange, disarrange, dislocate, disorganize, disrupt, disturb, dizzy, embroil, fog, fuddle, garble, gum up, hamper, jam, jumble, mire, mix up, muddle, muddy, obfuscate, obscure, outface, parasite, perplex, perturb, rattle, ravel, scramble, smudge, unhinge, unsettle). (various references)

Bulgarian 

смущавам (become confused, confound, discompose, disconcert, discountenance, disturb, flurry, gravel, incommode, muddle, mystify, obfuscate, perplex, perturb, put off, put out, rattle, ruffle, throw out, unbalance, violate, wake, wilder), обърквам (abash, addle, baffle, bedevil, befuddle, bewilder, complicate, confound, discomfit, disconcert, disjoint, dislocate, distract, embarrass, embroil, flatten, flummox, fluster, foil, fuddle, gravel, jumble, maze, mess about, mess around, mess up, muddle, muff, muss, nonplus, obfuscate, overwhelm, perplex, pose, put off, put out, puzzle, sew up, snarl, stonker, throw out, tumble, vex, wilder). (various references)

Chinese 

混淆 (blur, mix up, obscure). (various references)

Czech

zmást (baffle, bewilder, confound, disconcert, maze, mix up, nonplus, non-plus, obfuscate, perplex, puzzle, stick up, stump, stupefy), splést si (confound), poplést (become confused, darken, embarrass, jumble, maze, obfuscate, perplex, puzzle). (various references)

Danish

forvirre (puzzle). (various references)

Dutch

dooreenhalen (puzzle). (various references)

Esperanto

konfuzi (puzzle). (various references)

Faeroese

ørkymla (abet, agitate, incite, puzzle, stir up). (various references)

Farsi 

مغشوش شدن , گیج کردن (Astonish, Befuddle, Bemuse, Bewilder, Confound, Daze, Distract, Fox, Fuzz, Knockdown, Muddle, Perplex, Petrify, Stump, Stun, Stupefy), اسیمه کردن , دست پاچه کردن (Disconcert, Embarrass, Overwhelm), باهم اشتباه کردن . (various references)

Finnish

hämmentää (mix, puzzle, stir, upset). (various references)

French

confondre (confound). (various references)

German

verwirren (befog, befuddle, bewilder, confound, dazzle, disarrange, disorient, entangle, fluster, fuddle, jumble, muddle, muddle up, mystify, obfuscate, obscure, perplex, perturb, puzzle, Ravel, ruffle, ruffle up, tangle, tangle up, to confuse, to derange, to disarrange, to discombobulate, to disconcert, to dishevel, to disorient, to distract, to embarrass, to fluster, tousle, unsettle), verwechseln (confound, get mixed up, get muddled, interchange, mistake, mix up, muddle, muddle up, swap, to confound, to confuse). (various references)

Greek 

συγχέω (becloud, confound, fuddle, jumble, muddle, snafu), συγχίζω (fluster), σαστίζω (discomfit, feel bewildered, flummox, mystify, nonplus), μπερδεύω (baffle, bemuse, complicate, confound, enmesh, jumble, kink, mix up, muddle). (various references)

Hebrew 

לערבל (blend, confound, mix, swirl), לערבב (blend, jumble, mess, mingle, mix, muddle, scramble, stir, temper), ל�"ביא במבוכ�", לבלבל (bedevil, confound, disarrange, disconcert, disturb, flummox, mix up, muddle, perturb), לסבך (complicate, embroil, implicate, involve, mesh, mess, sophisticate). (various references)

Hungarian

zavarba hoz (abash, confound, disconcert, embarrass, maze, nonplus, outface, perplex, puzzle, to abash, to confound, to discomfit, to disconcert, to embarrass, to faze, to flummox, to flurry, to hobble, to nonplus, to perplex, to puzzle), összekever (admix with, blend, garble, incorporate, interfuse, intermix, mix up, to addle, to admix, to confound, to confuse, to implicate, to incorporate, to intersperse, to jumble, to jumble up, to medley, to mingle, to mingle-mangle, to mix, to mix up, to muddle up, to muss). (various references)

Indonesian

meragukan (doubt, equivocal, hesitate, incredulous), mencampuradukkan (mix up), mencampuradukan (mix up). (various references)

Italian

confondere (abash, addle, baffle, beat, become confuse, bemuse, bewilder, bother, confound, embarrass, foil, garble, get mixed up, jumble, merge, mistake, mix, mix up, muddle, mystify, obfuscate, puzzle, stump), sconcertare (abash, baffle, be disconcerted, bewilder, confound, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, faze, flummox, nonplus, stagger), scompigliare (disarray, dishevel, mess up, muddle up, ruffle, upset), mescolare (admix, alloy, blend, compound, concoct, dose, get mixed up, intermingle, intermix, jumble, lots, mingle, mix, mix up, muddle up, shuffle, stir), intricare (perplex, tangle), ingarbugliare (complicate, entangle, garble, get entangled), disorientare (bewilder, bother, disconcert, disorient, disorientate, get confused, mystify). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

魅す (to bewitch, to confuse, to delude, to enchant), 化かす (to bewitch, to confuse, to delude, to enchant), 一�'にする (to confuse with, to unite). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

ばかす (to bewitch, to confuse, to delude, to enchant), いっしょにする (to confuse with, to unite). (various references)

Korean 

혼동하십시�". (various references)

Manx

mestey (churning, compound, cross-breed, dispense, garble, hybridize, interlace, jumble, mash, miscellany, mix, mixture, promiscuity, shuffle, stir), cur fud y cheilley (bemuse, derange, disarray, disorganization, disorganize, embarrass, jumble, litter, maze, perturb, puzzle, subvert; dislocation, tangle), boirey (aggrieve, annoy, bother, care, confusion, disconcert, disrupt, disruption, distract, distraction, disturb, embarrass, embarrassment, heartache, madden, molestation, niggle, nuisance, perplex, perturb, perturbation, pester, preoccupy, put upon, row, strife, trouble, vex, worrier, worry). (various references)

Maya

keel ich (to confuse). (various references)

Papiamen

konfundí (puzzle). (various references)

Pig Latin

onfusecay

Portuguese

confundir (addle, astonish, astound, baffle, befog, befuddle, bewilder, confound, confusing, confute, daze, dazzle, disarray, disconcert, distract, dizzy, dumbfound, embarrass, embrangle, embroil, flabbergast, floor, flummox, flurry, fluster, fog, gravel, interfuse, intermingle, jumble, maze, mistake, mix up, moider, muddle, muddy, mull, nonplus, obfuscate, obscure, overwhelm, perplex, put out, puzzle, rattle, ravel, stagger), atrapalhar (discountenance, disturb, embarrass, flurry, hinder, inhibit, mix up, muddle, nonplus, obscure, perplex, prevent, puzzle, rattle). (various references)

Romanian

încurca (complicate, confound, cumber, discomfit, embrangle, embroil, entangle, floor, foul, gravel, hamper, hash, hinder, intertangle, involve, jumble, maze, medley, muddle, nonplus, perplex, pile up, pose, put out, puzzle, restrain, shuffle, sputter, stump, tangle, trouble). (various references)

Russian 

спутывать. (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

zbuniti (abash, addle, baffle, befuddle, bemuse, bepuzzle, bewilder, confound, discomfit, disconcert, distract, embarrass, faze, maze, nonplus, perplex, perturb, pose, puzzle, rattle, stick, stump), zbrkati (fuddle, muddle), pomesti (addle), pobrkati (bungle, mistake, mix up, mull). (various references)

Spanish

confundir (abash, baffle, beat, befuddle, bewilder, confound, disarrange, discombobulate, dish, distract, embrangle, flummox, fluster, Fox, mistake, mix, mix up, muddle, nonplus, obscure, rattle, throw), oscurecer (becloud, cloud, darken, deepen, dim, fog, grow dark, obfuscate, obscure, overcloud, shade, shadow, tarnish), enredar (embroil, entangle, implicate, intertwine, involve, net, Ravel, set, tangle), enmarañar (complicate, entangle, involve, make a mess of, mat, perplex, Ravel, snarl, tangle, tangle up), desconcertar (abash, baffle, bewilder, break up, confound, disconcert, disorder, faze, maze, mystify, put off, put out, puzzle, throw, throw out, upset), aturdir (abash, befuddle, bemuse, confound, daze, distract, drug, fluster, fuddle, intoxicate, knock out, muddle, numb, stun, stupefy). (various references)

Swedish

förvirra (addle, baffle, bamboozle, befog, bemuse, confound, daze, disconcert, disorient, disorientate, distract, dizzy, embarrass, flummox, flurry, fluster, fuddle, gravel, Kittle, perplex, unsettle, upset), förvilla (bewilder, deceive, mislead), förbrylla (baffle, confound, flummox, Fox, intrigue, nonplus, perplex, puzzle, stump). (various references)

Turkish

serseme çevirmek (bemuse, dumbfound, make giddy, petrify, send smb. reeling), karman çorman etmek (hash up, make a hash of, mix up, rough up, rumple, shuffle), karıştırmak (add, admix, amalgamate, blend, churn, commingle, commix, complicate, concoct, confound, darken, diffuse, disarrange, disarray, discompose, disconcert, disorder, disorganize, disturb, embroil, entangle, ferret about, foul, foul up, hash, implicate, interfuse, interlace, interlard, intermingle, intermix, involve, inweave, jumble, jumble together, jumble up, knot, litter, make hay of smth., meld, mess, mess smth. about, mess up, mingle, mistake, mix, mix up, monkey around with, monkey with, muddle, muss, pick, poke, poke up, Ravel, ruffle, scramble, scramble together, scramble up, shuffle, snarl, stir, stir up, tamper with, tangle, tousle, trim, tumble, unsettle, weave), kafasını karıştırmak (bedevil, befog, bemuse, confound, derange, disorient, mix up, obfuscate, perturb, puzzle), kafa karıştırmak (addle, perplex), farkedememek, bozmak (abash, abolish, adulterate, affect, alloy, annihilate, annul, baffle, ball up, barbarize, bedevil, blemish, botch, break, break down, break off, break on, bugger, bugger up, bust, cash, change, circumvent, confound, contaminate, corrupt, cross, damage, debase, debauch, decay, declare off, deface, defile, destroy, deteriorate, disappoint, disarray, discolor, discolour, discomfit, discomfort, discompose, discountenance, dislocate, dismount, disorder, disrupt, dissolve, distort, disturb, downgrade, emasculate, embarrass, embroil, exchange, explode, fluff, foil, foul, foul up, fumble, garble, goof, goof up, gum up, Harry, impair, indispose, infect, infringe, lead astray, leaven, mangle, Mar, mess, murder, muss, mutilate, obliterate, pervert, pollute, put out, put out of action, put to shame, quash, queer, rattle, reverse, rot, ruffle, ruin, scotch, scupper, shatter, sour, spoil, stymie, taint, thwart, tousle, tumble, undo, unmake, upset, violate, vitiate, whittle away, whittle down, whittle off, wreck), şaşırtmak (addle, amaze, astonish, astound, baffle, bamboozle, bedevil, befog, befuddle, bemuse, bewilder, bowl over, confound, daze, discompose, disconcert, discountenance, dislocate, disorient, disorientate, distract, embarrass, embrangle, flabbergast, floor, flummox, fuddle, give smb. a tumble, gravel, intrigue, jolt, knock back, mislead, moither, mystify, nonplus, obfuscate, perplex, put smb. out of countenance, puzzle, rattle, shock, startle, stick, stun, stupefy, surprise, take aback, wow), ayırt edememek, afallatmak (amaze, astonish, astound, daze, flabbergast, floor, flummox, stump, stun, stupefy). (various references)

Turkmen 

яalсyюdyrmak (mix up, muddle), зalюyrmak (barter, exchange). (various references)

Ukrainian

бентежити (abash, affront, bewilder, confound, damp, dank, daunt, disarray, discomfit, disconcert, discourage, dismay, disorder, embarrass, embrangle, flummox, muddle, overset, perplex, perturb, puddle, puzzle, upturn), переплутувати (mix up). (various references)

Welsh

cymysgu (amalgamate, blend, mix). (various references)

caeco, commisce, commisceamini, commisceat, commisceatur, commiscebatur, commisceberis, commiscebuntur, commiscens, commisceremur, commisceri, commiscetur, commiscuerunt, commiscuit, commixta, commixtae, commixti, commixtum, confudisset, confudisti, confudistis, confudit, confundam, confundamur, confundamus, confundantur, confundar, confundaris, confundas, confundat, confundatur, confunde, confundebat, confundemini, confundens, confundentur, confundere, confunderis, confundet, confundetur, confundimini, confundit, confunditis, confunditur, confundo, confundor, confusa, confusi, confusum, confusus, consternabatur, consternata, consternatae, consternatique, consternatus, conturba, conturbabant, conturbabar, conturbabimini, conturbabis, conturbabit, conturbabuntur, conturbamini, conturbant, conturbaret, conturbaris, conturbas, conturbasti, conturbat, conturbata, conturbatae, conturbati, conturbatum, conturbatumque, conturbatur, conturbatus, conturbaverunt, conturbavit, conturbemini, conturbent, conturbentur, conturbet, conturbo, excaeca, excaecant, excaecati, excaecavit, inmixta, perturbabant, perturbabat, perturbare, perturbatus, turbo. (various references)

broiller. (various references)

brouiller. (various references)

Derivations

Words beginning with "confuse": confused, confusedly, confusedness, confusednesses, confuses. (additional references)

Words ending with "confuse": unconfuse. (additional references)

Words containing "confuse": unconfused, unconfuses. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Confuse" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Cenfus, confu, confusa, confuss, confust, conuse. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-1 letter: fucose, ounces.

-2 letters: cones, conus, focus, onces, ounce, scone, uncos.

-3 letters: cone, cons, cues, ecus, eons, fens, feus, foes, fons, funs, fuse, noes, nose, nous, once, ones, onus, sone, unco.

-4 letters: con, cos, cue, ecu, efs, ens, eon, fen, feu, foe, fon, fou, fun, nos, nus, oes, one, ons, ose, sec, sen, son, sou.

+1 letter: confused, confuses, confutes, flounces, frounces.

+2 letters: confluxes, confuters, unconfuse, unfocused.

+3 letters: cofounders, configures, confitures, confluents, confusedly, coniferous, cuneiforms, defocusing, flounciest, infectious, refocusing, unconfused, unconfuses, unfocussed.

+4 letters: cinquefoils, confluences, confounders, defocussing, farinaceous, fluorescein, fluorescent, fluorescing, prefocusing, refocussing, unconfessed, undercrofts.

+5 letters: colorfulness, confabulates, confusedness, counterfeits, counterfires, counterflows, counterfoils, factiousness, fecundations, fluoresceins, fluorescence, fluorescents, forcefulness, functionless, furunculoses, infectiously, infelicitous, nonfluencies, overfocusing, prefocussing, reconfigures, scornfulness, stupefaction, tumefactions, voicefulness.