confuse

confuse
[[t]kənfju͟ːz[/t]]
confuses, confusing, confused
1) VERB If you confuse two things, you get them mixed up, so that you think one of them is the other one.

[V pl-n] Great care is taken to avoid confusing the two types of projects...

[V n with n] I can't see how anyone could confuse you with another!

Derived words:
confusion [[t]kənfju͟ːʒ(ə)n[/t]] N-UNCOUNT

Use different colours of felt pen on your sketch to avoid confusion.

2) VERB To confuse someone means to make it difficult for them to know exactly what is happening or what to do.

[V n] German politics surprised and confused him.

Syn:
3) VERB To confuse a situation means to make it complicated or difficult to understand.

[V n] To further confuse the issue, there is an enormous variation in the amount of sleep people feel happy with.


English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Confuse — Con*fuse , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Confused}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Confusing}.] 1. To mix or blend so that things can not be distinguished; to jumble together; to confound; to render indistinct or obscure; as, to confuse accounts; to confuse one s… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • confuse — 1 Confuse, muddle, addle, fuddle, befuddle mean to throw one out mentally so that one cannot think clearly or act intelligently. Confuse usually implies intense embarrassment or bewilderment {you confuse me, and how can I transact business if I… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • confuse — I (bewilder) verb abash, addle, astonish, baffle, befog, befuddle, bemuddle, confound, confundere, daze, discompose, disconcert, distract, embarrass, flurry, fluster, fog, jumble, mislead, mix up, muddle, mystify, nonplus, obfuscate, permiscere,… …   Law dictionary

  • confuse — [v1] bewilder someone abash, addle, amaze, astonish, baffle, becloud, bedevil, befuddle, bemuse, cloud, clutter, complicate, confound, darken, daze, demoralize, discomfit, discompose, disconcert, discountenance, disorient, distract, embarrass,… …   New thesaurus

  • Confuse — Con*fuse , a. [F. confus, L. confusus, p. p. of confundere. See {Confound}.] Mixed; confounded. [Obs.] Baret. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • confuse — 1550s, in literal sense mix or mingle things so as to render the elements indistinguishable; attested from mid 18c. in active, figurative sense of discomfit in mind or feeling; not in general use until 19c., taking over senses formerly belonging… …   Etymology dictionary

  • confuse — ► VERB 1) make bewildered or perplexed. 2) make less easy to understand. 3) mistake (one for another). DERIVATIVES confusable adjective. ORIGIN from Latin confusus, from confundere mix up …   English terms dictionary

  • confuse — [kən fyo͞oz′] vt. confused, confusing [ME confusen < confus, perplexed < OFr < L confusus, pp. of confundere: see CONFOUND] 1. to mix up; jumble together; put into disorder 2. to mix up mentally; specif., a) to bewilder; perplex b) to… …   English World dictionary

  • confuse */*/ — UK [kənˈfjuːz] / US [kənˈfjuz] verb [transitive] Word forms confuse : present tense I/you/we/they confuse he/she/it confuses present participle confusing past tense confused past participle confused 1) to make someone feel that they do not… …   English dictionary

  • confuse — confusable, adj. confusability, n. confusably, adv. confusedly /keuhn fyooh zid lee, fyoohzd /, adv. confusedness, n. /keuhn fyoohz /, v.t., confused, confusing. 1. to pe …   Universalium

  • confuse — 01. Everyone [confuses] me for my sister because we look so much alike. 02. Some of the questions on the test were really [confusing] for me. 03. Some of the questions on the test really [confused] me. 04. I always get [confused] between the past …   Grammatical examples in English

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