Confuse, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Confused; p. pr. & vb. n. Confusing.]
1. To mix or blend so that things can not be distinguished; to jumble together; to confound; to render indistinct or obscure; as, to confuse accounts; to confuse one's vision.
A universal hubbub wild Of stunning sounds and voices all confused. Milton.
2. To perplex; to disconcert; to abash; to cause to lose self- possession.
Nor thou with shadowed hint confuse A life that leads melodious days. Tennyson.
2 more senses
Confused and sadly she at length replied. Pope.
Syn. -- To abash; disorder; disarrange; disconcert; confound; obscure; distract. See Abash.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Confuse, a. [F. confus, L. confusus, p. p. of confundere. See Confound.]
Mixed; confounded. [Obs.] Baret.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for confuse; he lists it under abash, displace.
Where he writes about it:
"I might have been abashed by their authority." GLADSTONE Homeric Synchron., p. 72. [H. '76.] To confuse is to bring into a state of mental bewilderment; to confound is to overwhelm the mental faculties; to daunt is to subject to a certain degree of fear. — from abash