confuso

Italian

Etymology

From Latin cōnfūsus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /konˈfu.zo/
• Rhymes: -uzo
• Hyphenation: con‧fù‧so

Adjective

confuso (feminine confusa, masculine plural confusi, feminine plural confuse)

1. confused
2. muddled (of speech etc.)
3. embarrassed
4. hazy (of memory etc.)

Related terms

• confusamente
• confusionale
• confusione

Participle

confuso (feminine confusa, masculine plural confusi, feminine plural confuse)

1. past participle of confondere

Latin

Participle

cōnfūsō

1. dative/ablative masculine/neuter singular of cōnfūsus

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ḱe?

Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm

Proto-Italic *kom

Proto-Italic *kom-

Latin con-

Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰew-

Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰewd-

Proto-Indo-European *-né-

Proto-Indo-European *-ti

Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰunédti

Proto-Italic *hundō

Latin fundō

Latin cōnfundō

Latin cōnfūsuslbor.

Portuguese confuso

Learned borrowing from Latin cōnfūsus (“mixed, mingled”), from cōnfundō (literally “to pour together”).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kõˈfu.zu/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kõˈfu.zu/

• Rhymes: -uzu
• Hyphenation: con‧fu‧so

Adjective

confuso (feminine confusa, masculine plural confusos, feminine plural confusas)

1. confusing (difficult to understand)
   • (1999) Gregório de Matos, Ó caos confuso, labirinto horrendo, Crônica do viver baiano seiscentista:

     Ó caos confuso, labirinto horrendo,

     Oh confusing chaos, horrendous labyrinth,

   • 1899, Machado de Assis, chapter LXXXV, in Dom Casmurro, Rio de Janeiro: H. Garnier, Livreiro-Editor, page 245:

     Tal foi o sentimento confuso com que entrei na loja de louça.

     Such was the confusing feeling I entered the china store with.

2. confused (unable to think clearly, disoriented)

   Synonyms: perplexo, espantado, confundido

3. confused; muddled (disorganized, in disarray)
   • 1933, Graciliano Ramos, chapter XXXI, in Caetés‎^[1], 2nd edition, Rio de Janeiro: Livraria José Olympio Editora, published 1947, page 216:

     Da païsagem admirável apenas se divisavam massas confusas de serras cobertas de sombras.

     Of the impressive landscape, only indistinct masses of shadow-covered mountain ranges could be told apart.

Derived terms

• confusamente

Related terms

• confundir
• confundível
• confusão

Further reading

• “confuso”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “confuso”, in Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisboa: Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, 2001–2026
• “confuso”, in Dicionário Infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “confuso”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “confuso”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ḱe?

Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm

Proto-Italic *kom

Proto-Italic *kom-

Latin con-

Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰew-

Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰewd-

Proto-Indo-European *-né-

Proto-Indo-European *-ti

Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰunédti

Proto-Italic *hundō

Latin fundō

Latin cōnfundō

Latin cōnfūsuslbor.

Spanish confuso

Learned borrowing from Latin cōnfūsus (“mixed, mingled”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /konˈfuso/ [kõɱˈfu.so]
• Rhymes: -uso
• Syllabification: con‧fu‧so

Adjective

confuso (feminine confusa, masculine plural confusos, feminine plural confusas)

1. confused

   Synonym: confundido

2. confusing

   Synonyms: intrincado, enredado

Related terms

• confundir
• confusión

Further reading

• “confuso”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025