bewilder

[ bih-wil-der ]

/ bɪˈwɪl dər /

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verb (used with object)

to confuse or puzzle completely; perplex: These shifting attitudes bewilder me.

Nearby words

beweep, bewhiskered, bewick, bewick's swan, bewigged, bewilder, bewildered, bewildering, bewilderment, bewitch, bewitching

Origin of bewilder

First recorded in 1675–85; be- + wilder¹

SYNONYMS FOR bewilder

mystify, nonplus, confuse, daze, confound, stagger, muddle.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bewilder ON THESAURUS.COM

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bewilder

A purse can impress and intimidate, bewilder, berate, or amuse.
The Language of Margaret Thatcher’s Handbags|Robin Givhan|April 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But in a matter of this kind I bother and bewilder myself, and come to no conclusion whatever.
The Life of Charles Dickens, Vol. I-III, Complete|John Forster
Their ships might be caught between ice-floes, and the falling snow would blind and bewilder them.
Days of the Discoverers|L. Lamprey
That must be my excuse for geographical flights which, else, might bewilder my readers.
Burgundy: The Splendid Duchy|Percy Allen

I expect he realized this and forbore to bewilder me with matters of technical interest.
Aliens|William McFee
It seemed, indeed, to bewilder even ‘Ugly,’ free and easy chap as he appeared to be.
Young Tom Bowling|J.C. Hutcheson

British Dictionary definitions for bewilder

bewilder

/ (bɪˈwɪldə) /

verb (tr)

to confuse utterly; puzzle

archaic to cause to become lost

Derived Forms

bewilderment, noun

Word Origin for bewilder

C17: see be-, wilder

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