confusion
confusion — 名詞
1. a mental state in which someone cannot think clearly or make sense of what is ha
困惑
無法理解或思考的狀態
a mental state in which someone cannot think clearly or make sense of what is happening around them
Nia looked at the map in confusion, unable to find the right street.
Nia 困惑地看著地圖，找不到正確的街道。
in confusion — describing someone's mental state
The sudden change of rules caused confusion among the students.
規定的突然改變在學生之間引起了困惑。
cause confusion among [group]
There was some confusion about whether the exam was on Friday or Monday.
關於考試是在星期五還是星期一，有一些困惑。
Rania's explanation only added to my confusion over the math problem.
Rania 的解釋只讓我對這道數學題更加困惑。
In his confusion, Samir walked into the wrong classroom by mistake.
Samir 在困惑中走錯了教室。
- bewilderment
stronger, suggests being completely lost mentally; more literary than 'confusion'
- perplexity
more formal, focuses on being puzzled by something hard to explain
- puzzlement
slightly milder; suggests mild curiosity mixed with not understanding
- clarity
the state of being able to think clearly and understand
- understanding
opposite mental state — grasping what something means
文法句型
confusion about [something]
confusion over [something]
in confusion
用法筆記
This sense is uncountable; you cannot say 'a confusion' when describing a mental state. Frequently used with prepositions 'about' or 'over' to indicate the unclear topic.
常見錯誤
2. a loud, busy, and disorderly scene where people have no idea what they should be
混亂
吵雜失序的場面
a loud, busy, and disorderly scene where people have no idea what they should be doing
In the confusion after the fire alarm, people pushed toward the exits.
火災警報響起後的混亂中，人們擠向出口。
in the confusion — describing a chaotic moment
The kitchen was in a state of confusion during the lunch rush.
午餐尖峰時段，廚房裡一片混亂。
When the lights went out, total confusion broke out in the crowded market.
停電時，擁擠的市場裡爆發了全面的混亂。
Amid the confusion of the airport strike, Pim lost sight of her group.
機場罷工的混亂中，Pim 與她的團隊失散了。
The children's birthday party ended in happy confusion with wrapping paper everywhere.
孩子的生日派對在一片歡樂的混亂中結束，包裝紙到處都是。
- chaos
stronger and more dramatic; suggests total lack of order
- disorder
more neutral; can describe a lack of organization without noise or panic
- pandemonium
very strong, suggests wild noise and uncontrolled behaviour
文法句型
in the confusion
amid the confusion
[event] + ended in confusion
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense describes an external situation (noisy, disorderly), not an internal mental state. The collocation 'a state of confusion' can overlap with sense 1 — context determines whether it refers to mental or physical disorder.
常見錯誤
3. an error that occurs when someone thinks one person, thing, or idea is another,
混淆
誤認人或事物的錯誤
an error that occurs when someone thinks one person, thing, or idea is another, or treats them as the same
A confusion between the two X-rays meant the wrong patient received treatment.
兩張 X 光片之間的混淆導致錯誤的病患接受了治療。
confusion between [X] and [Y]
To avoid confusion, please label your luggage clearly before the flight.
為避免混淆，請在飛航前清楚標示你的行李。
to avoid confusion — common warning phrase
A confusion of the street names sent the delivery driver to the wrong house.
街道名稱的混淆導致送貨司機跑錯了房子。
The twins looked so alike that confusion over their identities was common at school.
這對雙胞胎長得太像了，在學校經常有人把她們搞混。
Ignacio's confusion of 'bored' with 'boring' led to a funny mistake in his essay.
Ignacio 把「bored」和「boring」搞混，在作文中鬧了個有趣的笑話。
- mix-up
more informal; commonly used in everyday conversation
- misunderstanding
broader; can refer to failing to grasp meaning, not necessarily mixing up two items
- distinction
the act of recognizing and keeping two things separate
文法句型
confusion between [X] and [Y]
confusion of [X] with [Y]
to avoid confusion
用法筆記
This sense can be either countable ('a confusion between A and B') or uncountable ('to avoid confusion'). The preposition 'between' introduces the two items being mixed up; 'of' introduces one item mistakenly identified as another.
常見錯誤
4. an uncomfortable or shy feeling that comes from not understanding something and
尷尬
因困惑而感到不自在
an uncomfortable or shy feeling that comes from not understanding something and not knowing how to react
Sophia felt a rush of confusion when everyone laughed at her question.
當大家笑她的問題時，Sophia 感到一陣尷尬的困惑。
a rush of confusion — sudden feeling
His confusion showed in his red face as he tried to answer the question.
他試圖回答問題時滿臉通紅，顯露出他的尷尬。
confusion shows in [body language]
Ada's confusion was obvious when she could not remember her colleague's name.
Ada 記不起同事的名字時，她的尷尬顯而易見。
To his confusion, Yan received a birthday card from a stranger.
讓 Yan 感到尷尬的是，他收到了一個陌生人寄來的生日卡。
Sofie looked down at the menu with growing confusion, unable to choose anything.
Sofie 越來越困惑地看著菜單，什麼也點不出來。
- embarrassment
more direct; focuses on social awkwardness rather than the mental confusion that causes it
- awkwardness
emphasizes the uncomfortable social situation more than the cognitive aspect
- confidence
a feeling of being sure about what you are doing or saying
- composure
the state of being calm and in control of your feelings
文法句型
to [someone's] confusion
feeling of confusion
[someone's] confusion + shows/is obvious
用法筆記
This sense overlaps with sense 1 but adds a social-emotional component of awkwardness or shyness. The phrase 'to someone's confusion' is a fixed structure meaning 'causing someone to feel confused and embarrassed'.
常見錯誤
5. a disordered collection of different items that are placed or exist together wit
混雜
多種事物雜亂的集合
a disordered collection of different items that are placed or exist together without any clear arrangement
The shelf held a confusion of old books, photographs, and dried flowers.
書架上混雜地堆著舊書、照片和乾燥花。
a confusion of [different things] — describing a jumbled collection
From the hill, the houses were a confusion of grey roofs and tangled wires.
從山丘上看下去，下方的房子混雜著灰色屋頂和纏繞電線。
Her desk was a confusion of papers, coffee cups, and loose pens.
她的桌上混雜著文件、咖啡杯和散落的筆。
Kwame heard a confusion of voices next door and could not make out any words.
Kwame 能聽到隔壁房間傳來混雜的聲音，但聽不清任何話語。
There was a confusion of paint tubes, canvases, and rags across the artist's studio floor.
藝術家的工作室地板上混雜著顏料管、畫布和抹布。
- order
a neat, well-arranged collection where items are easy to find
- organization
a structured arrangement where each item has its place
文法句型
a confusion of [plural noun]
用法筆記
Unlike other senses, this one always takes the form 'a confusion of + plural noun', where the noun phrase lists the mixed items. The article 'a' is required even though the head noun is uncountable — this pattern is fixed.