Confusing — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb adjective /kən-ˈfyüz/ con·fuse

Meaning & Definition of Confusing

Confusing (verb)

  1. to disturb in mind or purpose, throw off
  2. to make indistinct, blur
  3. to fail to differentiate from an often similar or related other

Confusing (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in difficult, impossible

    similar: difficult, disagreeable, impossible, inconvenient, intolerable, troublesome, unpleasant, unwieldy, awkward, discomfiting, disconcerting, disturbing, embarrassing, flustering, uncomfortable, unsettling, debasing, degrading, demeaning, humbling, humiliating, mortifying
    opposite: agreeable, comfortable, convenient, pleasing

  2. as in baffling, perplexing

    similar: baffling, bewildering, confounding, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling, unanswerable, unknowable, inconceivable, unimaginable, unthinkable, cryptic, darkling, deep, mysterious, mystic, oblique, obscure, occult, uncanny, abstruse, enigmatic, esoteric, indecipherable, inscrutable, recondite, unsearchable, impenetrable, incomprehensible, unfathomable, ungraspable, unintelligible
    opposite: fathomable, intelligible, understandable, basic, elemental, elementary, essential, fundamental, rudimentary, underlying, easy, simple, coherent, connected, ordered, orderly, organized, systematic, systematized, clear, cogent, compelling, convincing, lucid, pellucid, perspicuous, plain, straightforward

Confusing (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to throw into a state of mental uncertainty

    "the similar-sounding words censure and censor often confuse people"

    similar: addling, baffling, bamboozling, beating, befogging, befuddling, bemusing, bewildering, buffaloing, confounding, discombobulating, disorienting, flummoxing, foxing, fuddling, getting, graveling, mazing, muddling, muddying, mystifying, perplexing, posing, puzzling, vexing, blowing one's mind, going to one's head
    related: sticking, stumping, weirding out, abashing, discomfiting, disconcerting, discountenancing, embarrassing, fazing, flustering, mortifying, nonplussing, rattling, agitating, bothering, chagrining, discomforting, discomposing, dismaying, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, stunning, unhinging, unsettling, upsetting, beguiling, cozening, deceiving, deluding, duping, fooling, gulling, hoaxing, hoodwinking, humbugging, misguiding, misleading, snowing, stringing along, taking in, tricking
    near: assuring, reassuring, satisfying, enlightening, informing

  2. to make (something) unclear to the understanding

    "stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts"

    similar: beclouding, befogging, blurring, clouding, fogging, muddying, obfuscating
    related: complicating, perplexing, sophisticating, entangling, snarling, tangling, disarranging, disarraying, discomposing, disheveling, disordering, disrupting, disturbing, jumbling, messing (up), mixing (up), muddling, scrambling, shuffling, tousling, upsetting
    opposite: clarifying, clearing (up), illuminating
    near: simplifying, streamlining, disentangling, straightening (out), undoing, unraveling, unscrambling, untangling, deciphering, decoding, analyzing, breaking down

  3. to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related

    "a lot of people confuse popular fame with enduring achievement"

    similar: conflating, confounding, mistaking, mixing (up)
    related: lumping (together), misapplying, miscalling, misidentifying, misnaming
    opposite: differencing, differentiating, discriminating, distinguishing, separating

  4. to throw into a state of self-conscious distress

    "she was confused by the shocking bluntness of his marriage proposal"

    similar: abashing, confounding, discomfiting, disconcerting, discountenancing, embarrassing, fazing, flustering, mortifying, nonplussing, rattling
    related: agitating, bothering, chagrining, discomforting, discomposing, dismaying, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, putting off, putting out, unhinging, unsettling, upsetting, debasing, degrading, demeaning, humbling, humiliating, queering, shaming
    near: calming, comforting, consoling, relieving, soothing, buoying, cheering, emboldening, encouraging, heartening, assuring, reassuring

  5. to undo the proper order or arrangement of

    "vandals had hopelessly confused the papers in the office files"

    similar: deranging, disarranging, disarraying, discomposing, disheveling, disjointing, dislocating, disordering, disorganizing, disrupting, disturbing, hashing, jumbling, messing (up), mixing (up), muddling, mussing, rumpling, scrambling, shuffling, tousling, tumbling, upsetting
    related: embroiling, entangling, snarling, tangling, agitating, perturbing, stirring (up), unsettling, cluttering
    opposite: arranging, arraying, disposing, drawing up, marshaling, ordering, organizing, ranging, regulating, straightening (up), tidying
    near: aligning, lining, lining up, queuing, classifying, codifying, methodizing, systematizing, systemizing, adjusting, fixing, grooming, making up, sprucing (up), unscrambling

Related Entry: Confuse (verb)

Confuse is a different word from Confusing. The synonyms below are for confuse, not for confusing.

  1. to throw into a state of mental uncertainty

    "the similar-sounding words censure and censor often confuse people"

    similar: addle, baffle, bamboozle, beat, befog, befuddle, bemuse, bewilder, buffalo, confound, discombobulate, disorient, flummox, fox, fuddle, get, gravel, maze, muddle, muddy, mystify, perplex, pose, puzzle, vex, blow one's mind, go to one's head
    related: stick, stump, weird out, abash, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, mortify, nonplus, rattle, agitate, bother, chagrin, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distress, disturb, perturb, stun, unhinge, unsettle, upset, beguile, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fool, gull, hoax, hoodwink, humbug, misguide, mislead, snow, string along, take in, trick
    near: assure, reassure, satisfy, enlighten, inform

  2. to make (something) unclear to the understanding

    "stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts"

    similar: becloud, befog, blur, cloud, fog, muddy, obfuscate
    related: complicate, perplex, sophisticate, entangle, snarl, tangle, disarrange, disarray, discompose, dishevel, disorder, disrupt, disturb, jumble, mess (up), mix (up), muddle, scramble, shuffle, tousle, upset
    opposite: clarify, clear (up), illuminate
    near: simplify, streamline, disentangle, straighten (out), undo, unravel, unscramble, untangle, decipher, decode, analyze, break down

  3. to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related

    "a lot of people confuse popular fame with enduring achievement"

    similar: conflate, confound, mistake, mix (up)
    related: lump (together), misapply, miscall, misidentify, misname
    opposite: difference, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, separate

  4. to throw into a state of self-conscious distress

    "she was confused by the shocking bluntness of his marriage proposal"

    similar: abash, confound, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, mortify, nonplus, rattle
    related: agitate, bother, chagrin, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distress, disturb, perturb, put off, put out, unhinge, unsettle, upset, debase, degrade, demean, humble, humiliate, queer, shame
    near: calm, comfort, console, relieve, soothe, buoy, cheer, embolden, encourage, hearten, assure, reassure

  5. to undo the proper order or arrangement of

    "vandals had hopelessly confused the papers in the office files"

    similar: derange, disarrange, disarray, discompose, dishevel, disjoint, dislocate, disorder, disorganize, disrupt, disturb, hash, jumble, mess (up), mix (up), muddle, muss, rumple, scramble, shuffle, tousle, tumble, upset
    related: embroil, entangle, snarl, tangle, agitate, perturb, stir (up), unsettle, clutter
    opposite: arrange, array, dispose, draw up, marshal, order, organize, range, regulate, straighten (up), tidy
    near: align, line, line up, queue, classify, codify, methodize, systematize, systemize, adjust, fix, groom, make up, spruce (up), unscramble

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Confusing

The most common words with a similar meaning to Confusing:

difficult, disagreeable, impossible, inconvenient, intolerable, troublesome, unpleasant, unwieldy, awkward, discomfiting, disconcerting, disturbing, embarrassing, flustering, uncomfortable, unsettling, debasing, degrading, demeaning, humbling, humiliating, mortifying, baffling, bewildering, confounding, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling, unanswerable, unknowable, inconceivable, unimaginable, unthinkable, cryptic, darkling, deep, mysterious, mystic, oblique, obscure

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Confusing

Words with the opposite meaning of Confusing:

agreeable, comfortable, convenient, pleasing, fathomable, intelligible, understandable, basic, elemental, elementary, essential, fundamental, rudimentary, underlying, easy, simple, coherent, connected, ordered, orderly, organized, systematic, systematized, clear, cogent, compelling, convincing, lucid, pellucid, perspicuous

Related Words for Confusing

sticking, stumping, weirding out, agitating, bothering, chagrining, discomforting, dismaying, disquieting, distressing, perturbing, stunning, unhinging, beguiling, cozening, deceiving, deluding, duping, fooling, gulling, hoaxing, hoodwinking, humbugging, misguiding, misleading, snowing, stringing along, taking in, tricking, complicating

Near Antonyms of Confusing

assuring, reassuring, satisfying, enlightening, informing, simplifying, streamlining, disentangling, straightening (out), undoing, unraveling, unscrambling, untangling, deciphering, decoding, analyzing, breaking down, calming, comforting, consoling, relieving, soothing, buoying, cheering, emboldening, encouraging, heartening, aligning, lining, lining up

Word Forms of Confusing

Inflections: confused

Derived words: confusingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Confusing

Middle English confusen, back-formation from confused "frustrated, ruined," participle based on Anglo-French confus, borrowed from Latin confūsus, past participle of confundere "to pour together, blend, bring into disorder, destroy, disconcert" confound

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Confusing

What does "Confusing" mean?

"Confusing" means to disturb in mind or purpose, throw off. As an a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: to disturb in mind or purpose, throw off. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Confusing"?

Other words for "Confusing" include difficult, disagreeable, impossible, inconvenient, intolerable, troublesome, unpleasant and unwieldy. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Confusing" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Confusing"?

There are 154 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Confusing". Common alternatives include difficult, disagreeable, impossible, inconvenient, intolerable, troublesome, unpleasant, unwieldy, awkward and discomfiting.

What is the opposite of "Confusing"?

Antonyms of "Confusing" include agreeable, comfortable, convenient, pleasing, fathomable, intelligible, understandable and basic. Near antonyms include assuring, reassuring, satisfying and enlightening.

How do you use "Confusing" in a sentence?

Examples of "Confusing" in a sentence: "the similar-sounding words censure and censor often confuse people"; "stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts"; "a lot of people confuse popular fame with enduring achievement".

Is "Confusing" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Confusing" can be used as a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Confusing"?

"Confusing" is pronounced /kən-ˈfyüz/ and divided into syllables as con·fuse.

What is the origin of the word "Confusing"?

"Confusing" comes from Middle English confusen, back-formation from confused "frustrated, ruined," participle based on Anglo-French confus, borrowed from Latin confūsus, past participle of confundere "to pour together, blend, bring into disorder, destroy, disconcert" confound. First known use: 14th century.