Synonyms

bewilder

American

[bih-wil-der] / bɪˈwɪl dər /

verb (used with object)

to confuse or puzzle completely; perplex.

These shifting attitudes bewilder me.

Synonyms:

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

bewilder British

/ bɪˈwɪldə /

verb

to confuse utterly; puzzle
archaic to cause to become lost

"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

Other Word Forms

bewilderment noun

Etymology

Origin of bewilder

First recorded in 1675–85; be- + wilder ¹

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.

Gloriously unpredictable and, at times, impossible to read, they are wildly entertaining - bewildering, bewitching, brilliant.

From BBC

Ms. Moyer-Nocchi repeatedly, bewilderingly sabotages her considerable achievements by not bothering to get small but significant particulars right.

From The Wall Street Journal

He imagined their bewildered snuffling sounds as they found the water even lower than before.

From Literature

In his statement he added Lawrence's claims in relation to the campaign "are especially bewildering and bitterly wounding to me personally."

From BBC

Roving among the points of view of a sprawling cast—the sisters, their scattered children and grandchildren, and an assortment of bewildered spouses and exes—the stories often center on obligatory reunions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023