bemused

[bih-myoozd]

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

/ bɪˈmjuːzd, bɪˈmjuːzɪdlɪ /

adjective

1. preoccupied; lost in thought

Confusables Note

See bemuse.

Other Word Forms

• bemusedly adverb
• unbemused adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bemused¹

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

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.

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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.

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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.

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

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Related Words

• befuddled 
• bewildered 
• dazed 
• perplexed 
• puzzled www.thesaurus.com