confuse

Language▾

German

Persian

Russian

Spanish

To confuse means to mix up in your mind or cause someone else to get their thoughts all jumbled. It's like when you're trying to remember a name and it just slips your mind.

When people use the word "confuse", they usually mean that something is causing them trouble understanding or remembering things. For example, if you watch two movies with similar names and can't tell which one you saw first, you might feel confused. You could also be confused by a complicated math problem or a tricky situation at work. Sometimes people confuse themselves because there's just too much information to process - it's like their brain is getting tangled up in all the details.

How common is "confuse"?

Word confuse is considered uncommon in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

verb

(transitive) to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder (somebody); to afflict by being complicated, contradictory, or otherwise difficult to understand
Example: It confused me when I went to the office and nobody was there, but then I realised it was Sunday.
(transitive) To mix up, muddle up (one thing with another); to mistake (one thing for another).
Example: People who say "hola" to Italians are confusing Italian with Spanish.
(transitive) To mix thoroughly; to confound; to disorder.
Example: The dense fog utterly confused traffic on the highway.
(transitive, dated) To make uneasy and ashamed; to embarrass.
(transitive, obsolete) To rout; discomfit.
(intransitive) To be confused.