Confused, disorganized, or unclear; mixed up in a way that makes understanding difficult.
From 'muddle,' possibly from Dutch 'moddelen' (to paddle or make murky). The term emerged in the 1600s, using the image of muddy water to describe confusion.
The word 'muddled' perfectly captures how confusion actually works in your brain—scientists have found that when you're confused, your neural pathways literally have competing signals and unclear patterns, just like mud obscuring what's underneath.
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