- DictionaryCon·fuse/kənˈfyo͞oz/
verb
- 1. cause (someone) to become bewildered or perplexed: "past and present blurred together, confusing her still further" Similar bewilderbafflemystifybemuseperplexpuzzleconfoundbefognonplusdisconcertthrowset someone thinkinginformal:flummoxdiscombobulateconfusticatefazestumpbeatfoxmake someone scratch their headfloorfogbuffaloarchaic:wildergravelmazecause to be at a standdistractposerare:obfuscateOpposite enlighten
- ▪ make (something) more complex or less easy to understand: "the points made by the authors confuse rather than clarify the issue" Similar complicatemuddlejumblegarblemake complexmake (more) difficultblurobscuremake unclearcloudobfuscatearchaic:embroilOpposite simplify
- ▪ identify wrongly; mistake: "a lot of people confuse a stroke with a heart attack" Similar mix upmuddle upconfoundmisinterpret asmistake fortake forOpposite distinguish
Word Origin Middle English (in the sense ‘rout, bring to ruin’): from Old French confus, from Latin confusus, past participle of confundere ‘mingle together’ (see confound). Originally all senses of the verb were passive, and therefore appeared only as the past participle confused; the active voice occurred rarely until the 19th century when it began to replace confound.
Scrabble Points: 12
C
3O
1N
1F
4U
1S
1E
1
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