confuse

confuse
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 to CONFOUND (Cf. confound), dumbfound, flabbergast etc. The pp. CONFUSED (Cf. confused) (q.v.) is attested much earlier (serving as an alternative p.t. to confound), and the verb here might be a back-formation from it. Related: Confusing.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • 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 — ► 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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