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confuse

v.
US //kənˈfjuz// UK //kənfjˈuːz// con·fuse
  1. 1 to puzzle someone (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to make it difficult for someone to understand something.

    to perplex or bewilder someone by being complex, contradictory, or unclear.

    Example

    The new road signs are very small and they confuse many drivers.

    Example

    The technical jargon in the manual served only to confuse the new recruits, who were already struggling with the software's interface.

    Usage

    Often used in the passive voice to describe a mental state: 'I am confused.'
    Pitfall
    The instructions are very confused.
    The instructions are very confusing.

    Use 'confusing' to describe the thing that causes the problem, and 'confused' to describe how a person feels.

  2. 2 to mix up two things (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to mistake one person or thing for another.

    to fail to distinguish between two or more people or things; to muddle items in one's mind.

    Example

    I always confuse the twins because they look and sound exactly the same.

    Example

    Inexperienced collectors often confuse this common variety of quartz with the much rarer and more valuable white topaz.

    Usage

    Typically follows the pattern 'confuse A with B' or 'confuse A and B'.
Etymology 1

Back-formation from confused, from Middle English confused (“frustrated, ruined”), from Anglo-Norman confus, from Latin cōnfūsus, past participle of cōnfundō.

Etymology 2

From Middle English confus, from Old French confus, from Latin cōnfūsus, past participle of cōnfundō.

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