First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
confuse
verb con·fuse \kən-ˈfyüz\
: to make (someone) uncertain or unable to understand something
: to make (something) difficult to understand
: to mistakenly think that one person or thing is another person or thing : to mistake (one person or thing) for another
con·fusedcon·fus·ing
Full Definition of CONFUSE
transitive verb
1
archaic : to bring to ruin
3
a : to make indistinct : blur <stop confusing the issue> b : to mix indiscriminately : jumble c : to fail to differentiate from an often similar or related other <confuse money with comfort>
— con·fus·ing·ly \-ˈfyü-ziŋ-lē\ adverb
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See confuse defined for kids
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Origin of CONFUSE
back-formation from Middle English confused frustrated, ruined, from Anglo-French confus, from Latin confusus, past participle of confundere
Related to CONFUSE
Rhymes with CONFUSE
abuse, accuse, amuse, Andrews, bad news, bemuse, berceuse, chanteuse, charmeuse, chartreuse, coiffeuse, contuse, danseuse, defuse, diffuse, diseuse, disuse, effuse, enthuse, excuse, ill-use, incuse, infuse, masseuse, misuse, perfuse, peruse, recluse, recuse, refuse, reuse, short fuse, suffuse, Toulouse, transfuse, vendeuse
CONFUSING Defined for Kids
confuse
verb con·fuse \kən-ˈfyüz\
con·fusedcon·fus·ing
Definition of CONFUSE for Kids
1
: to make uncertain or unable to understand : perplex <The directions confused me and I got lost.>
2
: to fail to tell apart <Teachers always confused the twins.>
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