Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🧠 Related to confusion 🤔 Causing confusion
confusional

confusional

1 8.8
Feeling unsure about what is happening because of illness or medicine
  • adjective
  • /kənˈfjuːʒənl/
  • Specialized
: confusional
  • The nurse monitored the elderly man closely as he exhibited signs of a confusional episode after taking new medication.
  • confusional state
  • acute confusional state

Examples

  • The remaining two patients regained consciousness quickly but developed an acute confusional state (one immediately, one 24 hours later) which lasted 5 and 10 days, respectively.

    Academic text (1999)

  • Both developed an acute confusional state within three days of parasite clearance; in both cases, the state lasted less than three days and resolved spontaneously.

    Academic text (1999)

  • Being out of the minimally conscious state entirely... and she's now in what is considered... - a post traumatic confusional state.

    Coma (2007)

  • Two patients with acute confusional states had periods of classic catatonia with waxy flexibility.

    Academic text (1999)

  • Psychotic or acute confusional episodes—15 patients (68%) developed symptoms of an acute confusional state or acute psychosis.

    Academic text (1999)

  • Psychotic or acute confusional episodes—15 patients (68%) developed symptoms of an acute confusional state or acute psychosis.

    Academic text (1999)

  • Only in California are physicians required to report to the DMV individuals with chronic confusional states caused by AD and related disorders (Sterns, Sterns, Aizenberg, & Anapolle, 2001).

    Academic text (2007)

  • During the examination, the doctor noticed that the patient was in a confusional state, unable to answer simple questions.

  • After the traumatic accident, she experienced weeks of confusional symptoms that required medical attention.

Synonyms

confused
vsconfusional
762 1.3

Not able to think clearly or understand what is happening

is a medical adjective describing similar disorientation in clinical or psychological contexts
mixed-up
vsconfusional
  • Informal
26 4.9

Confused and unsure because different ideas or instructions do not agree

is reserved for medical descriptions rather than casual bewilderment
confounded
vsconfusional
7 6.8

Feeling very confused and not able to understand something unexpected

is used mainly in clinical descriptions rather than formal perplexity terms
mazed
vsconfusional
1 9.6

Confused and unable to think clearly

is a clinical descriptor, not a poetic or dreamy form of bewilderment
addlepated
vsconfusional
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Confused and acting silly with a muddled, forgetful mind

is a clinical term focusing on medical confusion, not silly or playful state

Antonyms

clear
∞ 1.0

Easy to understand and not confusing

coherent
74 7.2

Clear and logical speaking or writing that is easy to understand

How Confused

delirious
  • Specialized
31 7.0
confusional
  • Specialized
1 8.8
disoriented
50 4.1
dazed
38 4.8
confused
762 1.3

Surface Forms

confusional positive

Morphology

confusional = confusion (transparent) = confuse + ion + al

This is a straightforward relational adjective built from 'confusion' with the regular adjective suffix '-al'.

Etymology

Confusional comes from confuse, which originally meant to 'mix together' and is the same root as fuse meaning 'to join'. So a confusional state is like the mind being 'mixed up' or 'confused', which is why doctors use it for people who are not clear in their thinking.