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
- bemusedly adverb
- unbemused adjective
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.
“Snazzy. Does the job,” said Ruscha, looking bemused and speaking in short bursts of headline-style phrases like one of his famous paintings.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
In Camblanes-et-Meynac, locals were bemused by the story.
From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026
Meloni herself left a bemused comment on Instagram next to her supposed likeness, saying: "No, decidedly I do not resemble an angel."
From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026
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
"Well, thank you," the boy said, totally bemused.
From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl
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.
