bemused
Americanadjective
-
bewildered or confused.
a bemused expression on his face.
-
lost in thought; preoccupied.
-
mildly amused, especially in a detached way.
adjective
Commonly Confused
See bemuse.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bemused
Compare meaning
How does bemused compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
If you're bemused, you're muddled or preoccupied. It happens when you're lost in thought, dazed, or overwhelmed (say, on the first day of high school). Find the word "muse" inside bemused and imagine being under the spell of one of the muses of Greek mythology. You're so inspired to write poetry that you can't keep your mind on work or remember how to get home. Or think Wile E. Coyote, Sylvester, or another cartoon character staggering off with a vague smile after getting hit over the head by a frying pan and you'll grasp the meaning of a bemused expression.
Vocabulary lists containing bemused
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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"Of Mice and Men"
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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.
Army, the world of avant-garde film, the gay-liberation movement, the popular-music industry—and speaks of them with bemused frankness.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
Then came the World Cup, and for a month, a curious if somewhat bemused country sampled the world’s game up close.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
Tourists trying to navigate major central London landmarks on Saturday were left bemused by an enormous £4.5m police operation to keep rival protestors apart.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
While McInnes was enraged, Motherwell counterpart Jen Berthel Askou was bemused at the award against his team.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
They felt watched by their bemused childhood selves.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
