bemuse

[bih-myooz]

verb (used with object)

bemused, bemusing 

1. to bewilder or confuse.

2. to preoccupy; engross.

3. to cause to be mildly amused, especially in a detached way.

   Apparently bemused by his critics, he floated above the clamor surrounding the campaign.

bemuse

/ bɪˈmjuːz /

verb

1. (tr) to confuse; bewilder

Confusables Note

The verb bemuse (usually as the adjective bemused ) is similar in sound to amuse , and has in fact taken on the meaning "to cause to be mildly amused." Many usage experts and traditionalists consider this a misuse of bemuse , pointing out that its proper meaning is “to bewilder or confuse.” However, the history and use of bemuse has shown that its meaning is often ambiguous. It's often the case that one's feelings are a combination of bewilderment and amusement: Their customs bemuse most Americans. Even when it clearly means "to bewilder or confuse," bemuse usually retains a lighthearted tone: one would not typically say: I was bemused by his motive for the murder.

Other Word Forms

• bemusement noun
• bemusing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bemuse¹

First recorded in 1695–1705; be- + muse

Example Sentences

A bemused Miss Mortimer opened her office door to find the Incorrigibles taking mock bows and curtsies before an imaginary audience, as if they had just concluded a successful opening night on the West End.

Read more on Literature

It was popularised by young US influencers like Pink Cardigan this summer, who amassed millions of likes by staring, tongue out, at bemused customers through shop and diner windows.

Read more on BBC

An artist sneaked an AI-generated print on to a gallery wall before bemused visitors alerted museum staff.

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Body-cam footage released by the Parma Heights Police Department shows one bemused officer describing how the gourd just “took off” as he tried to grab it.

Read more on Salon

But, speaking just after the game, his manager Arne Slot was left bemused by the incident.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• amaze 
• bewilder 
• daze 
• muddle 
• perplex 
• puzzle 
• stun 
• stupefy