— confusable , adj. — confusability , n. — confusably , adv. — confusedly /keuhn fyooh"zid lee, -fyoohzd"-/ , adv. — confusedness , n.
/keuhn fyoohz"/ , v.t., confused, confusing .
1. to perplex or bewilder: The flood of questions confused me.
2. to make unclear or indistinct: The rumors and angry charges tended to confuse the issue.
3. to fail to distinguish between; associate by mistake; confound: to confuse dates; He always confuses the twins.
4. to disconcert or abash: His candor confused her.
5. to combine without order; jumble; disorder: Try not to confuse the papers on the desk.
6. Archaic. to bring to ruin or naught.
[ back formation from confused (since early 19th century), ME confused confus (with -ed -ED 2 maintaining participial sense) confusus, ptp. of confundere; see CONFOUND ]
Syn. 1. mystify, nonplus. CONFUSE, DISCONCERT, EMBARRASS imply temporary interference with the clear working of one's mind. TO CONFUSE is to produce a general bewilderment: to confuse someone by giving complicated directions. TO DISCONCERT is to disturb one's mind by irritation, perplexities, etc.: to disconcert someone by asking irrelevant questions. TO EMBARRASS is to cause one to be ill at ease or uncomfortable, so that one's usual judgment and presence of mind desert one: to embarrass someone by unexpected rudeness. 4. mortify, shame. 5. disarray, disarrange, disturb.