Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for bemused. Search instead for bemurmured.
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

How does bemused compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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.

He was bemused that he didn’t need a ticket to retrieve his vehicle from the valet at San Vicente Bungalows because, well, he’s Colman Domingo.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 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

The amateur player won only three points during her 37-minute debut - two double faults by opponent Lorena Schaedel and an unforced error from the bemused German, ranked 1,026th in the world.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026

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

Marco and Cook stopped and watched Razi run away, bemused.

From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook

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.