If there is confusion about something, it is not clear what the true situation is, especially because people believe different things.
There's still confusion about the number of casualties. [+ about]
Omissions in my recent article must have caused confusion.
Synonyms: bewilderment, doubt, uncertainty, puzzlement More Synonyms of confusion
2. uncountable noun
Confusion is a situation in which everything is in disorder, especially because there are lots of things happening at the same time.
There was confusion when a man fired shots.
The rebel leader appears to have escaped in the confusion.
Synonyms: disorder, chaos, turmoil, upheaval More Synonyms of confusion
3. variable noun
If your mind is in a state of confusion, you do not know what to believe or what you should do.
We always left his office in a state of confusion.
...the pressures and confusions of puberty.
Synonyms: puzzlement, bewilderment, perplexity, bafflement More Synonyms of confusion
4. See also confuse
More Synonyms of confusion
confusion in British English
(kənˈfjuːʒən)
noun
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
Derived forms
confusional (conˈfusional)
adjective
confusion in American English
(kənˈfjuʒən)
noun
a confusing or being confused
; specif.,
a.
state of disorder
b.
bewilderment; distraction
c.
embarrassment
d.
failure to distinguish between things
Idioms:
covered with confusion
SYNONYMY NOTE: confusion suggests an indiscriminate mixing or putting together of things so that it is difficultto distinguish the individual elements or parts [the hall was a confusion of languages]; disorder, disarray imply a disturbance of the proper order or arrangement of parts [the room was in disorder, her clothes were in disarray]; chaos implies total and apparently irremediable lack of organization [the troops are in a state of chaos]; jumble1 suggests a confused mixture of dissimilar things [his drawer was a jumble of clothing and books]; muddle implies a snarled confusion resulting from mismanagement or incompetence [they've made a muddle of the negotiations]
OPPOSITES: order, system
Derived forms
confusional (conˈfusional)
adjective
Word origin
ME & OFr < L confusio
Examples of 'confusion' in a sentence
confusion
He saw it first in his father's eyes, a cloud of confusion that also furrowed his brow.
Mark Mills AMAGANSETT (2004)
No, no, I don't think she was, although there seems to be some confusion here.
Robert Wilson THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS (2004)
The breaches in the underwater pipe will be a source of total confusion.
Patrick Robinson BARRACUDA 945 (2004)
Quotations
Confusion is a word we have invented for an order which is not understoodHenry MillerTropic of Capricorn
with ruin upon ruin, rout on rout, Confusion worse confoundedJohn MiltonParadise Lost
In other languages
confusion
British English: confusion /kənˈfjuːʒən/ NOUN
If there is confusion about something, the facts are not clear.
Use different colours of ink to avoid confusion.
American English: confusion
Arabic: اِرْتِباك
Brazilian Portuguese: confusão
Chinese: 混淆
Croatian: zbrka
Czech: zmatek
Danish: forvirring
Dutch: verwarring
European Spanish: confusión
Finnish: sekaannus
French: confusion
German: Verwechslung
Greek: σύγχυση
Italian: confusione
Japanese: 混同
Korean: 혼란
Norwegian: forvirring
Polish: dezorientacja
European Portuguese: confusão
Romanian: confuzie
Russian: сомнение
Latin American Spanish: confusión
Swedish: förvirring
Thai: ความสับสน
Turkish: karışıklık
Ukrainian: плутанина
Vietnamese: sự nhầm lẫn
Chinese translation of 'confusion'
confusion
(kənˈfjuːʒən)
n
(c/u) (= uncertainty) 惶惑 (huánghuò) (种(種), zhǒng)
(u) (= mix-up) 混淆 (hùnxiáo)
(c/u) (= perplexity) 困惑 (kùnhuò)
(u) (= disorder) 混乱(亂) (hùnluàn)
1 (noun)
Definition
bewilderment
Omissions in my recent article may have caused some confusion.
Synonyms
bewilderment
doubt
They were troubled and full of doubt.
uncertainty
The magazine ignores all the uncertainties students currently face.
puzzlement
perplexity
mystification
bafflement
perturbation
Opposites
solution
,
explanation
,
enlightenment
,
clarification
2 (noun)
Definition
disorder
The rebel leader seems to have escaped in the confusion.
Synonyms
disorder
The emergency room was in disorder.
chaos
The country appears to be sliding towards chaos.
turmoil
a year of political turmoil
upheaval
a prolonged period of political upheaval
muddle
My thoughts are all in a muddle.
bustle
shambles
The economy is a shambles.
disarray
He found the room in disarray.
commotion
He heard a terrible commotion outside.
disorganization
The army is suffering from low morale and disorganization.
disarrangement
Opposites
order
,
organization
,
arrangement
,
neatness
,
tidiness
3 (noun)
Definition
bewilderment
I left his office in a state of confusion.
Synonyms
puzzlement
He looked at me in puzzlement.
bewilderment
He shook his head in bewilderment.
perplexity
There was utter perplexity in both their expressions.
bafflement
mystification
perturbation
4 (noun)
Synonyms
disconcertion
embarrassment
We apologize for any embarrassment this statement may have caused.
distraction
He drove his staff to the verge of distraction.
chagrin
Much to his chagrin, she didn't remember him at all.
fluster
disorientation
discomfiture
I have never found pleasure in another's discomfiture.
demoralization
mind-fuck (taboo, slang)
abashment
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]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of chagrin
Definition
a feeling of annoyance and disappointment
Much to his chagrin, she didn't remember him at all.