bewildered

[ bih-wil-derd ]

/ bɪˈwɪl dərd /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bewildered ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

completely puzzled or confused; perplexed.

Words nearby bewildered

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

Origin of bewildered

First recorded in 1675–85; bewilder + -ed²

OTHER WORDS FROM bewildered

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

Definition for bewildered (2 of 2)

bewilder

[ bih-wil-der ]

/ bɪˈwɪl dər /

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

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

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bewilder ON THESAURUS.COM

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
The crowds, coming from every direction at once, were soon a confused, bewildered mass of elbowing humanity.
The Easiest Way|Eugene Walter and Arthur Hornblow
I stood looking at them, bewildered and astonished by Mademoiselle's loyalty.
The Crossing|Winston Churchill
The young man stood still where he was, bewildered by this prodigy of paternal love.
The Brotherhood of Consolation|Honore de Balzac
Her eyes had the bewildered look of one who has been suddenly awakened from a sleep gilded with a delightful dream.
Mistress Nell|George C. Hazelton, Jr.
The officer turned and began violently to abuse the bewildered Lascars.
Parrot & Co.|Harold MacGrath

British Dictionary definitions for bewildered

bewilder

/ (bɪˈwɪldə) /

verb (tr)

to confuse utterly; puzzle

archaic to cause to become lost

Derived forms of bewilder

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