bedazzle
Americanverb (used with object)
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bedazzles,
present (3rd person singular)
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bedazzled,
past participle, past
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bedazzling
present participle
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to impress forcefully, especially so as to make oblivious to faults or shortcomings.
Audiences were bedazzled by her charm.
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to dazzle so as to blind or confuse.
The glare of the headlights bedazzled him.
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to adorn with features that are brilliant, sparkly, splendid, etc..
You don’t need to bedazzle your business card with glitter, but does it stand out from the crowd?
Both the wealthy and the common flapper could bedazzle themselves in the popular long necklaces of the day.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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bedazzlesimple
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bedazzlessimple
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have bedazzledperfect
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has bedazzledperfect
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am bedazzlingprogressive
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are bedazzlingprogressive
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is bedazzlingprogressive
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have been bedazzlingperfect progressive
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has been bedazzlingperfect progressive
Past
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bedazzledsimple
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had bedazzledperfect
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was bedazzlingprogressive
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were bedazzlingprogressive
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had been bedazzlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bedazzle
Explanation
To bedazzle is to charm or impress someone, sometimes to the extent that they feel confused or overwhelmed. A charismatic speaker might bedazzle her audience so much that they all want to buy her new book. Something can literally bedazzle you, or blind you a little bit: the sun glinting off the ocean around your sailboat might bedazzle you. It's more common, however, to find this verb used in a figurative way, when a person amazes or impresses you. The root of bedazzle, the Middle English dasen, or "daze," possibly stems from the Middle Dutch word of the same spelling, which means "act silly."
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.
See Examples For:
Don’t let a fancy offer document bedazzle you and stop you from doing your due diligence.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
I bedazzle pieces I collect and I like how it reflects the color and turns into a rainbow.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Especially the marvelous starry seed heads of A. christophii and A. schubertii that are durable enough to bedazzle the garden all summer.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 12, 2022
It's an unexpectedly sentimental exercise to take stock of how you bedazzle, spice, umami and sweeten your eating life — almost like paging through old photo albums.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2022
Last spring, Bubbe helped me bedazzle my purple cape.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
“Behold a Broadway musical that sings, dances and bedazzles so magnetically, it feels as if it were ordained for the screen by divine providence. ‘
From Washington Post ● Dec. 26, 2022
Behold a Broadway musical that sings, dances and bedazzles so magnetically, it feels as if it were ordained for the screen by divine providence.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 19, 2022
The production and props designer Stephanie Osin Cohen bedazzles an already palatial Long Island mansion in Lake Success, complete with a museum-worthy collection of framed Pomeranian portraits.
From New York Times ● May 23, 2021
She nudges the English to give it a Cuban tone, respectful of the brutal efficiency of Mr. Padura’s Spanish, while never sacrificing the lyrical flourishes with which he occasionally bedazzles his readers.
From New York Times ● Jan. 21, 2014
This spot, so very African, bedazzles you in the daytime with flashings as of steel.
From La Sorcière: The Witch of the Middle Ages by Jules Michelet
For performances I would put little chains on my gown and wear bedazzled badges.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
“This is brilliant,” said Joe Sever, 36, a medical sales representative who brought his son and twin daughters, who were wearing matching denim jackets with their names bedazzled on the backs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
When she took up the oversized, bedazzled pair of scissors to cut the ribbon, two sturdy men made sure they had a firm hold on her.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
Parton later quietly organized for Bandit to be surpised with a custom acoustic guitar, bedazzled with rhinestones and the words "To Brigitte, Love Dolly" scribbled across it.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
Alaric loosened the collar of his ghost shirt, which, despite being see-through like the rest of him, was clearly bedazzled.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
Amelia combines discussion of the books with quizzes and games, and events such as book bedazzling, external.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
A white paper bag, Speedee the chef and a bedazzling roadside memory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
Ayer is simply bedazzling a script that would otherwise feel rudimentary had it starred Liam Neeson in a gray T-shirt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2025
My mother is his enabler, sewing the sequins onto his blue satin capes, bedazzling the ivory jumpsuit with the deep V-neck.
From New York Times ● Mar. 1, 2024
The metamorphosis was bedazzling, and I was mesmerized by her exquisite face, her dark luminous eyes, her appreciative smile.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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