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Synonyms

confusing

American  
[kuhn-fyoo-zing] / kənˈfyu zɪŋ /

adjective

  1. causing or tending to cause confusion.

    a confusing attempt at explanation.

Other Word Forms

  • confusingly adverb
  • confusingness noun
  • unconfusing adjective

Etymology

Origin of confusing

First recorded in 1840–50; confuse + -ing 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Picking up best pop act, Dean squealed "no way" and added: "Pop music is kind of confusing. I don't really know what it means but I think it's about togetherness and making people feel good."

From BBC

The order, accompanied by an AI-generated illustration of a World War II-era hospital ship flying the U.S. flag, was confusing to many, and justifiably so.

From Salon

She is a keen recycler but describes the waste situation in Tower Hamlets as confusing and "a nightmare".

From BBC

Those are very different bets, and right now the market is confusing them.

From Barron's

Looking back, it appears I made a classic investing mistake: confusing my good fortune for skill.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.