Confused

ppl. a. [f. CONFUSE v. + -ED¹.]

  I.  1. As pa. pple. this dates back to 14th c.: see the examples under the verb.

  II.  as adj.

  2.  Of persons, or the mind: Amazed, perplexed, bewildered, disconcerted, etc.: see CONFUSE v. 2.

[1382.  Wyclif, Dan. ii. 3. Y confusid, or astonyed, in mynde.]

1833.  Lamb, Elia, Ser. II. xiii. (1865), 321. He was already so confused with age.

1847.  Emerson, Repr. Men, Napoleon, Wks. (Bohn), I. 370. A realist, terrific to all talkers, and confused truth-obscuring persons.

1887.  Pall Mall G., 24 March. In the presence of the confused husband.

  3.  Characterized by disorderly combination or intermixture; disordered, disorderly.

1576.  Fleming, Panop. Epist., 219. It is such a confused and disordered heape.

1611.  Bible, Isa. ix. 5. Confused noise.

1640.  Order Ho. Com., in Rushw., Hist. Coll. (1692), III. I. 44. Whosoever shall go forth of the House in a Confused manner, before Mr. Speaker, shall forfeit 10s.

a. 1678.  Marvell, Flecno. Confuseder than the atoms in the sun.

1714.  J. Macky, Journ. thro’ Eng. (1732), I. 8. Gravesend is a little confused Town … always full of Seamen.

1874.  Green, Short Hist., viii. 531. The battle … was little more than a confused combat of horse.

  b.  Nat. Hist. Not arranged in order.

1776.  Withering, Brit. Plants (1796), IV. 25. Bristles straight … unequal, confused, very simple.

1869.  E. Newman, Brit. Moths, 300. The Confused Moth (Mamestra furva).

  † 4.  Made up of several ingredients mingled together; blended, mixed. Cf. CONFUSE 4. rare.

1594.  Carew, Tasso (1881), 96. And blush of scorne fellowd with that of shame, Forth both at once, mixt and confused came.

1620.  Venner, Via Recta, vi. 102. I aduise all such as are respectiue of their health, to refraine the vse of all confused sauces.

1677.  Littleton, Lat. Dict., s.v., Confused or mixt together, confusus.

  5.  Said of perceptions or notions in which the elements or parts are mixed up and not clearly distinguished; also of utterance, language, the thinker or speaker, etc.

1611.  Bp. Hall, Epist., IV. vii. This awefull and confused apprehension of the Deitie.

1690.  Locke, Hum. Und., II. xxix. § 4. A confused idea is such an one as is not sufficiently distinguishable from another, from which it ought to be different.

1733.  Berkeley, Th. Vision Vind., § 23. The confused use of the word ‘object.’

1862.  H. Spencer, First Princ., II. iv. § 52. In their confused thoughts, the one was equivalent to the other.

1878.  trans. Ziemssen’s Cycl. Med., xiv. 819. The hesitating speech may become confused, although the confused speech sometimes gushes out in a rapid stream.