Standard Lemma guide

confusing

adj · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /kənˈfjuːzɪŋ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K AH0 N F Y UW1 Z IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

difficult to understand; not clear as lacking order, chaotic, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Several sections in that book are really confusing.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

present participle and gerund of confuse

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

lacking clarity of meaning; causing confusion or perplexity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • sent confusing signals to Iraq
  • perplexing to someone who knew nothing about it
  • a puzzling statement

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: perplexing, puzzling

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

causing confusion or disorientation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a confusing jumble of road signs
  • being hospitalized can be confusing and distressing for a small child

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

60 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مُرْبِك (murbik) — difficult to understand
  • Belarusian: заблы́таны (zablýtany) — difficult to understand
  • Bulgarian: объркващ (obǎrkvašt) — difficult to understand
  • Catalan: confús — difficult to understand
  • Chinese Mandarin: 撲朔迷離 /扑朔迷离 (pūshuòmílí) — difficult to understand
  • Chinese Mandarin: 含糊不清的 (hánhú bù qīng de) — difficult to understand
  • Czech: matoucí — difficult to understand
  • Danish: forvirrende — difficult to understand
  • Dutch: verwarrend — difficult to understand
  • Dutch: niet duidelijk — difficult to understand
  • Dutch: chaotisch — difficult to understand
  • Esperanto: implikanta — difficult to understand
  • Esperanto: konfuzanta — difficult to understand
  • Faroese: ørkymlandi — difficult to understand
  • Finnish: hämmentävä — difficult to understand
  • French: complexe — difficult to understand
  • French: déroutant — difficult to understand
  • French: confusant — difficult to understand
  • Galician: confuso — difficult to understand
  • Georgian: გაუგებარი (gaugebari) — difficult to understand
  • German: verwirrend — difficult to understand
  • German: irreführend — difficult to understand
  • German: missverständlich — difficult to understand
  • German: unübersichtlich — difficult to understand
  • Hebrew: מבלבל (m'valbél) — difficult to understand
  • Hindi: भ्रामक (bhrāmak) — difficult to understand
  • Icelandic: ruglingslegur — difficult to understand
  • Italian: che confonde — difficult to understand
  • Italian: poco chiaro — difficult to understand
  • Italian: confusionario — difficult to understand
  • Japanese: 紛らわしい (magirawashii) — difficult to understand
  • Kapampangan: macabaligo — difficult to understand
  • Kapampangan: makabaligo — difficult to understand
  • Kapampangan: makalitu — difficult to understand
  • Khmer: ច្រឡំ (jrɑlɑm) — difficult to understand
  • Malay: mengelirukan — difficult to understand
  • Mauritian Creole: konfi — difficult to understand
  • Mirandese: cunfuso — difficult to understand
  • Mirandese: ambrulhado — difficult to understand
  • Mirandese: ambaranhado — difficult to understand
  • Norwegian Bokmål: forvirrende — difficult to understand
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: forvirrende — difficult to understand
  • Polish: mylący — difficult to understand
  • Polish: zagmatwany — difficult to understand
  • Portuguese: confuso — difficult to understand
  • Portuguese: embrulhado — difficult to understand
  • Portuguese: embaraçado — difficult to understand
  • Romanian: confuz — difficult to understand
  • Romanian: încurcător — difficult to understand
  • Romanian: zăpăcitor — difficult to understand
  • Romanian: haotic — difficult to understand
  • Russian: сбива́ющий с то́лку (sbivájuščij s tólku) — difficult to understand
  • Russian: запу́танный (zapútannyj) — difficult to understand
  • Spanish: confuso — difficult to understand
  • Spanish: enredado — difficult to understand
  • Spanish: confusionario — difficult to understand
  • Swedish: förvirrande — difficult to understand
  • Tagalog: nakakalito — difficult to understand
  • Thai: ที่น่าสับสน — difficult to understand
  • Turkish: kafa karıştırıcı — difficult to understand
Real reading context

confusing in complete knowledge articles