| Title | confuse |
|---|---|
| Text |
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary con·fuse (con·fused ; con·fus·ing) ETYMOLOGY back-formation from Middle English confusedfrustrated, ruined, from Anglo-French confus, from Latin confusus,past participle of confundere DATE 14th century 1. archaic : to bring to ruin 2. a. to make embarrassed : abash b. to disturb in mind or purpose : throw off 3. a. to make indistinct : blur stop confusing the issue b. to mix indiscriminately : jumble c. to fail to differentiate from an often similar or related other confuse money with comfort English Etymology confuse c.1550, in literal sense "mix or mingle things so as to render the elements indistinguishable;" attested from mid-18c. in active, figurative sense of "discomfit in mind or feeling;" not in general use until 19c., taking over senses formerly belonging to confound, dumbfound, flabbergast etc. The pp. confused (q.v.) is attested much earlier (serving as an alternate p.t. to confound), and the verb here might be a back-formation from it. Related: Confusing(1846). Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 ☞ confuse con·fuse / kEn5fju:z / verb[VN] 1. to make sb unable to think clearly or understand sth 使糊涂；使迷惑: They confused me with conflicting accounts of what happened. 他们对发生的事所作的陈述自相矛盾,使我迷惑不解。 2. ~ A and / with B to think wrongly that sb / sth is sb / sth else (将…)混淆,混同 SYN mix up :
People often confuse me and my twin sister. 人们常常把我和我的孪生妹妹搞错。 Be careful not to confuse quantity with quality. 注意不要把数量与质量混淆了。 3. to make a subject more difficult to understand 使更难于理解: His comments only served to confuse the issue further. 他的评论只是把问题弄得更加复杂。 Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English confuse verb 1 make sb unable to think clearly; make sth unclear ADV. completely, totally Seeing the two of them together totally confused me. | slightly, somewhat | further I will try to be brief and avoid further confusing the issue. 2 mistake sb/sth for another person/thing ADV. easily You can easily confuse the two paintings. PREP. with I sometimes confuse Jane with her sister. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus-11th Edition v. Function: verb 1 Synonyms: EMBARRASS , abash, confound, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, faze, rattle 2 to make unclear in mind or purpose FF1C;found the city hustle and noise very confusingFF1E; Synonyms: addle, ball up, befuddle, bewilder, ||bumfuzzle, discombobulate, distract, dizzy, fluster, fuddle, mix up, ||mizzle, ||momble, muddle, mull, throw off, throw out Related Words: misguide, mislead; agitate, bother, discompose, disquiet, flurry, perturb, upset 3 Synonyms: PUZZLE , befog, bewilder, ||cap, confound, metagrobolize, pose, stumble 4 to make indistinct the elements or true character of (as a discussion) FF1C;confuse an issue in a debateFF1E; Synonyms: becloud, befog, blur, cloud, fog, muddy Related Words: complicate, confound, involve, mix up Idioms: lose in a fog Contrasted Words: clarify, elucidate; simplify 5 to throw into disorder FF1C;surging waves confused the watersFF1E; FF1C;her accounts were totally confusedFF1E; Synonyms: foul up, jumble, mix up, muddle, ||snafu, snarl up, tumble; compare DISORDER 1 Related Words: derange, disarrange, disorder, disorganize, disturb, mess (up), unsettle Idioms: put in a flutter, throw into confusion 6 Synonyms: MISREPRESENT , color, distort, garble, miscolor, pervert, twist, warp, wrench, wrest 7 Synonyms: MISTAKE 1, confound, misdeem, misidentify, mix, mix up Antonyms: differentiate Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged confuse I. confuse adjective Etymology: Middle English confus, from Middle French obsolete : confused II. con·fuse \kənˈfyüz\ verb (-ed/-ing/-s) Etymology: back-formation from confused transitive verb 1. archaic : to bring to ruin : rout 2. a. : to make ashamed or embarrassed : abash , disconcert , fluster b. : to make unclear in mind or purpose : mislead , bewilder , perplex : throw off3. a. : to dull or make indistinct the outlines or separate elements of (as a picture, pattern, or narrative) : blur < confuse the issue in a debate > b. : to throw into disorder : jumble together < a … wind confused the waters — Virginia Woolf > < confuse accounts > c. : to mistake (one person or thing) for another : fail to distinguish between (two or more separate entities) : confound < expression may be too easily confused with communication — Havelock Ellis > intransitive verb : to fail to discriminate < I always confuse between him and Orion — W.F.de Morgan >
http://W.F.de |
Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.
Next card: to confound from b the synonyms pour confuse
Previous card: Congenial synonyms adjective nature having b merriam-webster's collegiate
Up to card list: English learning