糊涂 (hú tu) is an adjective meaning 'confused,' 'muddled,' or 'bewildered.' Literally, 糊 means 'to paste' or 'to stick together loosely' (like glue), and 涂 means 'to smear' or 'to daub' — together they evoke the image of something smeared and blurred, losing clear definition. This visual metaphor extends to mental states: when thoughts are jumbled, unclear, or lacking logical coherence, one is described as 糊涂.

The word often carries a gentle, slightly affectionate or self-deprecating tone — it’s common in informal speech to describe momentary forgetfulness or simple-mindedness, not serious cognitive impairment. It can describe both temporary confusion (e.g., after waking up) and habitual lack of clarity (e.g., someone who repeatedly misplaces things). While occasionally used as a noun ('a confused person'), its primary function is adjectival, modifying nouns or used predicatively after 是 or 得.