Meaning & use
confusing
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Hard to follow or understand because it is unclear, messy, or has too many parts.
Grammar: Describes the thing, not the feeling: a confusing map, not a confusing person who feels lost.
Patterns
- confusing to someone
- find something confusing
The instructions were so confusing that we gave up.
I find the train timetable very confusing.
It is confusing when two streets share the same name.
adjectivecomparable
Giving mixed or conflicting signals that make you unsure what is true or what to do.
Grammar: Often used for messages or behavior: a confusing message.
Patterns
- send confusing signals
His confusing replies made us doubt the plan.
The sign was confusing because it pointed both ways.
She gave the team a confusing message about the deadline.
Word forms
| comparative | more confusing |
|---|---|
| superlative | most confusing |
Common combinations
- deeply confusing
- The tax form was deeply confusing.
- confusing instructions
- Confusing instructions cost us an hour.
- rather confusing
- The ending of the film was rather confusing.
- confusing signals
- The manager sent confusing signals about the new rules.
- find it confusing
- Many learners find it confusing at first.
- a confusing situation
- It was a confusing situation for everyone.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unclear
- Unclear says only that something is not easy to understand, while confusing implies it leaves people puzzled.
- baffling
- Baffling is stronger, suggesting something that cannot be understood at all.
- bewildering
- Bewildering suggests there is so much going on that you feel lost.
- perplexing
- Perplexing is more formal and used for puzzling problems.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: confusing or confused?
confusing vs confused
Confused describes how a person feels, as in I am confused, while confusing describes the thing that causes it.
Practice
The new menu was so ___ that nobody could tell which meals were vegetarian.
Choose one answer.
Confusing describes the menu, which causes confusion. Confused would describe a person's feeling.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “confusing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.