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Puzzled vs Confused - What's the difference?

puzzled | confused |

Confused is a synonym of puzzled.



As adjectives the difference between puzzled and confused

is that puzzled is confused or perplexed while confused is unable to think clearly or understand.

As verbs the difference between puzzled and confused

is that puzzled is past tense of puzzle while confused is past tense of confuse.

puzzled

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Confused or perplexed.
  • * 1848 , , Vanity Fair , Bradbury and Sons, 11:
  • (...) when the day of the departure came, between her two customs of laughing and crying, Miss Sedley was greatly puzzled how to act.
  • * 1920 , (Herman Cyril McNeile), Bulldog Drummond Chapter 1
  • Once or twice he scratched his head, and stared out of the window with a puzzled frown. And each time, after a brief survey of the other side of Half Moon Street, he turned back again to the breakfast table with a grin.

    Derived terms

    * puzzledly * puzzledness

    Verb

    (head)
  • (puzzle)
  • confused

    English

    Verb

    (head)
  • (confuse)
  • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (lb) unable to think clearly or understand
  • (lb) disoriented
  • chaotic, jumbled or muddled
  • making no sense; illogical
  • embarrassed
  • Synonyms

    (checksyns) * puzzled * perplexed