bewildered
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bewildered
Explanation
If a conversation about quantum mechanics leaves you feeling bewildered, or lost and befuddled, don't feel bad: physics is a baffling and confusing subject. Be- + wildered = "thoroughly gone astray, into the wild," which is pretty much what our minds do when we don't understand something, when we don't even come close to understanding it. If you're bewildered, you are confused on a whole new level. You may even find your confusion confusing. Great synonyms for this word include at sea, bemused, confounded, and mixed-up.
Vocabulary lists containing bewildered
Of Mice and Men
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Losing not just one parent, but two, was "traumatic" for Cat and her three younger siblings, leaving them "so bewildered" by what had happened, she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
At first, I was pleasantly surprised, if a little bewildered because of who they came from.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
So I am a bit bewildered as pundits declare that the success of “The Odyssey” reflects some larger theme about what film audiences want.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Comment sections have quickly evolved into a digital support group for bewildered men swapping stories of their own theatre experience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
He looks around, bewildered because there isn’t any noise.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
