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confusing

/kənˈfjuzɪŋ/
/kənˈfjuzɪŋ/
IPA guide

Something that's confusing doesn't make any sense — it perplexes you. A confusing, hand-drawn map might lead you in circles as you try to find your destination.

It can be confusing to walk out of a dark movie theater into the bright sunlight, or to get a phone call from someone whose voice you don't recognize. Situations like this disorient you a little bit. Things that are difficult and complicated, like a really hard math test, can also be confusing. The adjective comes from confuse, which has a Latin root, confundere, "mingle together."

Definitions of confusing
  1. adjective
    causing confusion or disorientation
    “a confusing jumble of road signs”
    “being hospitalized can be confusing and distressing for a small child”
    synonyms:
    disorienting
    causing loss of physical or intellectual bearings
  2. adjective
    lacking clarity of meaning; causing confusion or perplexity
    “sent confusing signals to Iraq”
    synonyms: perplexing, puzzling
    unclear
    not clear to the mind
Pronunciation
US
/kənˈfjuzɪŋ/
UK
/kənˈfjuzɪŋ/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘confusing'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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