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Synonyms

bemused

American  
[bih-myoozd] / bɪˈmyuzd /

adjective

  1. bewildered or confused.

    a bemused expression on his face.

  2. lost in thought; preoccupied.

  3. mildly amused, especially in a detached way.

bemused British  
/ bɪˈmjuːzd, bɪˈmjuːzɪdlɪ /

adjective

  1. preoccupied; lost in thought

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Commonly Confused

See bemuse.

Other Word Forms

  • bemusedly adverb
  • unbemused adjective

Etymology

Origin of bemused

First recorded in 1695–1705; bemuse + -ed 2

Compare meaning

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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.

US actress Zendaya has given an amused and bemused reaction to the widely shared photos that appear to show her wedding to fellow actor Tom Holland.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

Dupont reacted fastest, picking the ball up and strolling past the bemused La Rochelle pack to score.

From Barron's • Dec. 28, 2025

I tried leaning on it, hand on hip, and felt myself transformed from a geriatric sourpuss into a bemused observer of the human cavalcade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

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.

From Salon • Oct. 12, 2025

The class tittered, and even Mr. Quisling looked somewhat bemused.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

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.