bewildered

[bih-wil-derd]

See more synonyms for bewildered on Thesaurus.com

adjective

completely puzzled or confused; perplexed.

Origin of bewildered

First recorded in 1675–85; bewilder + -ed²

Related formsbe·wil·dered·ly, adverbbe·wil·dered·ness, nounun·be·wil·dered, adjectiveun·be·wil·dered·ly, adverb

bewilder

[bih-wil-der]

verb (used with object)

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

Origin of bewilder

First recorded in 1675–85; be- + wilder¹

Synonyms for bewilder

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for bewildered

perplexed, stunned, puzzled, shocked, startled, befuddled, dazed, surprised, baffled, rattled, awed, mystified, astonished, thrown, stupefied, lost, reeling, addled, dumbfounded, disconcerted

Examples from the Web for bewildered

Contemporary Examples of bewildered

The experience left Shultz bewildered: “Maybe we are crazy?”
How the Reagan White House Bungled Its Response to Iran-Contra Revelations
Malcolm Byrne
November 3, 2014
Bewildered adolescents, many of them accompanied by equally confused guardians, spill out into the hallway.
The Border Kid Crisis Hits the Courts
Caitlin Dickson
September 19, 2014
Five hours and loads of frustration later, the bewildered psychologist gave up.
Teaching a Lesson to Bullies and Educators Alike
Moral Courage
February 24, 2014
He tells the bewildered Narnians: ‘I’m so very old: hundreds and hundreds of years old.
Three Great Men Died That Day: JFK, C.S. Lewis, and Aldous Huxley
John Garth
November 3, 2013
A puzzled cantor lifted his head up and a bewildered congregation turned their eyes to their leader.
How Rabbi David Hartman Lives On
Eliyahu Stern
February 11, 2013

Historical Examples of bewildered

If he made me blind, may he not easily have bewildered her, and have been himself bewildered?
Malbone
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
She dragged him in a bewildered state of mind to the door, which she held open.
Viviette
William J. Locke
"You're very kind," said Aunt Frank, with a sigh of bewildered relief.
The Bacillus of Beauty
Harriet Stark
I knew that it was I myself, and not my mode of life, that bewildered her.
The Bacillus of Beauty
Harriet Stark
A creature of hope and joy, the first draught of sorrow had bewildered her.
The White Old Maid (From "Twice Told Tales")
Nathaniel Hawthorne

British Dictionary definitions for bewildered

bewilder

verb (tr)

to confuse utterly; puzzle
archaic to cause to become lost

Derived Formsbewilderment, 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

Word Origin and History for bewildered

adj.

1680s, past participle adjective from bewilder (q.v.).

bewilder

1680s, from be- "thoroughly" + archaic wilder "lead astray, lure into the wilds," probably a back-formation of wilderness. An earlier word with the same sense was bewhape (early 14c.). Related: Bewildered; bewildering; bewilderingly.