con ‧ fused S3 /kənˈfjuːzd/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: adverb : ↑ confusedly , ↑ confusingly ; adjective : ↑ confused , ↑ confusing ; verb : ↑ confuse ; noun : ↑ confusion ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: confus , from Latin confusus , past participle of confundere ; ⇨ ↑ confound ]
1 . unable to understand or think clearly about what someone is saying or what is happening:
I’m totally confused. Could you explain that again?
confused about
If you’re confused about anything, phone me.
All the roads looked the same and he felt thoroughly confused.
2 . not clear or not easy to understand:
Witness statements presented a confused picture of the incident.
a lot of confused ideas
—confusedly /-ˈfjuːzədli, -ˈfjuːzɪdli/ adverb
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THESAURUS
▪ confused unable to understand what someone is saying or what is happening:
I was rather confused by his question.
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She gave me a confused look.
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With the huge range of computers on the market, it’s easy to get confused.
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She felt hurt and confused when her husband left her.
▪ puzzled ( also perplexed formal ) confused because you cannot understand something, especially because it is different from what you expect:
The doctor was puzzled by the man’s symptoms and ordered several further tests.
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He had a puzzled expression on his face.
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Ross looked perplexed when the audience laughed.
▪ baffled very confused and unable to understand something, even though you have tried hard for a long time:
Detectives admit they are baffled by the case.
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a baffled expression
▪ bewildered /bɪˈwɪldəd $ -ərd/ very confused and surprised when something unusual and unexpected happens to you:
He was bewildered to find three policemen at the front door.
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Bewildered train passengers watched as the man was arrested.
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At first she was bewildered by all the noise and activity of the city.
▪ bemused /bɪˈmjuːzd/ confused and surprised by what has happened, or by what someone has said:
Local residents seem bemused by the sudden arrival of all the tourists.
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She told him to leave, but he just sat there with a bemused expression.
▪ can’t think straight spoken to have difficulty thinking clearly, for example because you are too tired, too busy, or because a lot of things are happening around you:
I can’t think straight with all this noise going on.