confusion

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con·fu·sion

(kən-fyo͞o′zhən)

a. The act of confusing or the state of being confused: Backstage confusion made the rehearsal difficult.

b. An instance of being confused: "After his awakening to Chicano identity, he briefly mastered his inner confusions and found an articulate voice" (David C. Unger).

2. Psychology A mental state involving impaired orientation with respect to time, place, or person.

con·fu′sion·al adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

confusion

(kənˈfjuːʒən)

1. the act of confusing or the state of being confused

2. disorder; jumble

3. bewilderment; perplexity

4. lack of clarity; indistinctness

5. embarrassment; abashment

conˈfusional adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

con•fu•sion

(kənˈfyu ʒən)

n.

1. the act of confusing.

2. the state of being confused.

3. disorder; upheaval; tumult; chaos: The army retreated in confusion.

4. lack of clearness or distinctness.

5. perplexity; bewilderment.

6. embarrassment or abashment.

7. a disturbed mental state; disorientation.

8. Archaic. defeat, overthrow, or ruin.

[1300–50; Middle English (< Anglo-French) < Latin]

con•fu′sion•al, adj.

Confusion

a confused collection or assemblage. See also chaos, clutter.

Examples: confusion of blocks of stone; of piled blocks, 1835; of persons, 1791.

Confusion

at loose ends Unsettled, undecided, lacking direction or goal; uncommitted to one’s present position and uncertain of one’s future status. A loose end is anything that is left hanging or not properly attached, as a piece of fabric or a seemingly superfluous detail. A person is “at loose ends” when his life lacks coherence or a sense of direction as exemplified in the following fragment quoted in Webster’s Third:

… feeling himself at loose ends—no job, no immediate prospects. (Dixon Wecter)

See also tie up the loose ends, COMPLETION.

at sea Confused, perplexed; without direction, design, or stability; in a state of uncertainty. Figurative use of this expression dates from the mid-18th century and is based on an analogy to a ship lost at sea, having no bearings and out of sight of land. At sea can refer to a person or state of affairs. All adrift is an analogous nautical expression with a similar figurative meaning ‘aimless, confused.’

knock for a loop To disorient someone by saying or doing something shocking or unexpected; to strike a blow and cause one to lose balance and fall. The loop in this modern slang expression derives from the aeronautical term for the mid-air maneuver of an airplane. To knock someone for a loop is to hit that person hard enough to make him do a somersault. The feeling of dizziness and disorientation is carried over into the more common figurative use.

That little charade of hers had knocked him for a loop. (D. Ramsey, Deadly Discretion, 1973)

Also current is throw for a loop.

I was really confused. That memorandum threw me for a loop. (E. Ambler, Intercom Conspiracy, 1969)

knock galley-west See COMBAT.

lose one’s bearings To become lost; to lose all sense of direction; to become hopelessly disoriented, confused, or bewildered. In this expression, bearings carries the literal meaning of reference points or directions in relation to one’s position; thus, the term’s use to describe a person who is lost or disoriented.

not know if one is afoot or on horseback So completely confused as to not know what one is doing, thoroughly befuddled or mixed-up; not to know whether one is coming or going. This self-evident American colloquialism dates from the late 19th century.

“Fay Daniels!” gasps the girl, which don’t know if she’s afoot or horseback—and neither did I. (Collier’s, October, 1927)

not to know if one is coming or going Not to know what one is doing; extremely confused or mixed-up; not to know which end is up; ignorant, stupid.

There’s nobody at the Town Hall could take it on. Town Clerk doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going. (J. B. Priestley, Fest. Frabridge, 1951)

Use of the phrase dates from at least 1924.

not to know which end is up See IGNORANCE.

not to make head nor tail of See make head or tail of, DIFFERENTIATION.

slaphappy See FATUOUSNESS.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	confusion - disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably; "the army retreated in confusion" disorder - a disturbance of the peace or of public order demoralisation, demoralization - a state of disorder and confusion; "his inconsistency resulted in the demoralization of his staff" bluster - noisy confusion and turbulence; "he was awakened by the bluster of their preparations" bedlam, chaos, pandemonium, topsy-turvydom, topsy-turvyness - a state of extreme confusion and disorder hugger-mugger - a state of confusion; "he engaged in the hugger-mugger of international finance" schemozzle, shemozzle - (Yiddish) a confused situation or affair; a mess
	2.	confusion - a mental state characterized by a lack of clear and orderly thought and behavior; "a confusion of impressions" confusedness, disarray, mental confusion, muddiness cognitive state, state of mind - the state of a person's cognitive processes disorientation - confusion (usually transient) about where you are and how to proceed; uncertainty as to direction; "his disorientation was the result of inattention" distraction - mental turmoil; "he drives me to distraction" daze, haze, fog - confusion characterized by lack of clarity half-cock - confusion resulting from lack of preparation jamais vu - the experience of being unfamiliar with a person or situation that is actually very familiar; associated with certain types of epilepsy bafflement, befuddlement, bemusement, bewilderment, mystification, obfuscation, puzzlement - confusion resulting from failure to understand perplexity - trouble or confusion resulting from complexity
	3.	confusion - a feeling of embarrassment that leaves you confused discombobulation embarrassment - the shame you feel when your inadequacy or guilt is made public
	4.	confusion - an act causing a disorderly combination of elements with identities lost and distinctions blended; "the confusion of tongues at the Tower of Babel" compounding, combining, combination - the act of combining things to form a new whole babel - a confusion of voices and other sounds
	5.	confusion - a mistake that results from taking one thing to be another; "he changed his name in order to avoid confusion with the notorious outlaw" mix-up error, fault, mistake - a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention; "he made a bad mistake"; "she was quick to point out my errors"; "I could understand his English in spite of his grammatical faults"

confusion

noun

1. bewilderment, doubt, uncertainty, puzzlement, perplexity, mystification, bafflement, perturbation Omissions in my recent article may have caused some confusion.
bewilderment solution, explanation, enlightenment, clarification

2. disorder, chaos, turmoil, upheaval, muddle, bustle, shambles, disarray, commotion, disorganization, disarrangement The rebel leader seems to have escaped in the confusion.
disorder order, organization, arrangement, neatness, tidiness

3. bewilderment, puzzlement, perplexity, bafflement, mystification, perturbation I left his office in a state of confusion.

Quotations
"Confusion is a word we have invented for an order which is not understood" [Henry Miller Tropic of Capricorn]
"with ruin upon ruin, rout on rout,"
"Confusion worse confounded" [John Milton Paradise Lost]

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

confusion

noun

1. Self-conscious distress:

abashment, chagrin, discomfiture, discomposure, embarrassment.

2. A lack of order or regular arrangement:

chaos, clutter, confusedness, derangement, disarrangement, disarray, disorder, disorderedness, disorderliness, disorganization, jumble, mess, mix-up, muddle, muss, scramble, topsy-turviness, tumble.

Slang: snafu.

Translations

إضْطِراب، بَلْبَلَهاِرْتِباك

zmatek

forvirring

Durcheinander Verwechslung Verwirrung

σύγχυση μπέρδεμα

confusión

sekaannusepäselvyyshämmennys

confusion désordre

בלבול

zbrka

összevisszaságösszezavarászavar

ruglingur

confusione garbuglio parapiglia quiproquo soqquadro

混同

혼란

verwarring

forvirring røre ugreie

dezorientacja nieporozumienie zamieszanie

confusão

неурядица путаница сомнение чехарда

zmeda

förvirring

ความสับสน

karışıklık şaşkınlık

sự nhầm lẫn

混淆困惑混乱

confusion

[kənˈfjuːʒən] N

1. (= disorder) → desorden m
to be in confusion → estar en desorden
to retire in confusion → retirarse en desorden

2. (= perplexity) → confusión f, desorientación f
people were in a state of confusion → la gente estaba desorientada

3. (= commotion) → confusión f
in all the confusion I forgot it → lo olvidé en medio de tanta confusión
I heard a confusion of voices → oí unas voces confusas

4. (= embarrassment) to be covered in confusion → estar avergonzado

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

confusion

[kənˈfjuːʒ^ən] n

(= uncertainty) → confusion f

(= chaos) → confusion f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

confusion

(= disorder) → Durcheinander nt, → Wirrwarr m, → Unordnung f; (= jumble) → Wirrwarr m; to be in confusion → in Unordnung sein, durcheinander sein; scenes of confusion → allgemeines or wildes Durcheinander; to retreat in confusion (Mil) → einen ungeordneten Rückzug antreten; to throw everything into confusion → alles durcheinanderbringen; in the confusion of the battle → im Durcheinander der Schlacht; to run about in confusion → wild durcheinanderlaufen

(= perplexity) → Verwirrung f, → Unklarheit f; (= mental confusion, after drugs, blow on head etc) → Verwirrtheit f; (through old age etc) → Wirrheit f; in the confusion of the moment → im Eifer des Gefechts

(= embarrassment) → Verlegenheit f; (at being found out) → Betroffenheit f; to be covered in confusion → vor Verlegenheit erröten

(= mixing up) → Verwechslung f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

confusion

[kənˈfjuːʒ/ən] n → confusione f

confuse

(kənˈfjuːz) verb

1. to put in disorder. He confused the arrangements by arriving late.

2. to mix up in one's mind. I always confuse John and his twin brother.

3. to make puzzled. He completely confused me by his questions.

conˈfused adjective

1. mixed up. The message I received was rather confused.

2. mixed up in the mind. in a confused state of mind.

conˈfusedly (-zidli) adverb

conˈfusion (-ʒən) noun

confusion

→ اِرْتِباك zmatek forvirring Verwechslung σύγχυση confusión sekaannus confusion zbrka confusione 混同 혼란 verwarring forvirring dezorientacja confusão сомнение förvirring ความสับสน karışıklık sự nhầm lẫn 混淆

con·fu·sion

n. confusión; atolondramiento; aturdimiento.

confusion

n confusión f

References in classic literature ?

At this I blushed in some confusion, but did not greatly hasten to thank him.

View in context

We were each attached to a party sent out by the general's orders to prevent the plunder and confusion which followed our conquest.

View in context

"What are you going to do?" The Fox thought first of one way, then of another, and while he was debating the hounds came nearer and nearer, and at last the Fox in his confusion was caught up by the hounds and soon killed by the huntsmen.

View in context

Still there is so much obscurity in the Indian traditions, and so much confusion in the Indian names, as to render some explanation useful.

View in context

This threw the rest into confusion; they endeavored to protect their unhorsed comrades from the furious assaults of the whites; but, after a scene of "confusion worse confounded," horses and mules were abandoned, and the Indians betook themselves to the bushes.

View in context

When he was informed that among others awaiting him in his reception room there was a Frenchman who had brought a letter from his wife, the Countess Helene, he felt suddenly overcome by that sense of confusion and hopelessness to which he was apt to succumb.

View in context

On the journey in the train he talked to his neighbors about politics and the new railways, and, just as in Moscow, he was overcome by a sense of confusion of ideas, dissatisfaction with himself, shame of something or other.

View in context

To see the expression of her eyes, the change of her complexion, the progress of her feelings, their doubt, confusion, and felicity, was enough.

View in context

My mother and sisters were always about me, and I was always trying to escape them; for they worried me to distraction with their solicitude for my health and with their periodic inroads on my den, when my orderly confusion, upon which I prided myself, was turned into worse confusion and less order, though it looked neat enough to the eye.

View in context

"I knew it," he muttered in confusion, "I thought so!

View in context

Making first for the kitchen, she was driven back by the clamor and confusion attending the removal of those among the wounded who were strong enough to be placed in the wagon.

View in context

I have told him that I am not quite well, and must be alone; and should he call again there might be confusion, for it is impossible to be sure of servants.