confusing
- 01 B1 Intermediate
difficult to understand because it is not clear or is very complicated.
describing something that causes a state of bewilderment or lack of clarity.
Simple“The street signs in this city are very confusing for new drivers.”
In context“The instructions were so confusing that even the experienced technicians had to consult the original manual to complete the assembly.”
PitfallI am very confusing about the new rules. I am very confused about the new rules.Use 'confusing' for the thing that causes the problem and 'confused' for how you feel.
confusing vs confused — Confused describes the person feeling the emotion, while confusing describes the thing causing that feeling.
“He said it would also help to put an end to "the confusing and unjust postcode lottery caused by different rules in different areas".”
“There have been a few confusing situations where it has not been clear if the goal-kick has been taken, and a defender then handles the ball.”