Synonyms

bewildering

American

[bih-wil-der-ing] / bɪˈwɪl dər ɪŋ /

adjective

extremely confusing.

a bewildering schedule of events.

Other Word Forms

bewilderingly adverb
unbewildering adjective
unbewilderingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of bewildering

First recorded in 1785–95; bewilder + -ing ²

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.

Anthropic calls Claude a “thinking partner” with which users can tackle “any big, bold, bewildering challenge.”

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

But Jareth and “Labyrinth” introduced a new generation to the magnitude of his bewildering, potent artistic sorcery.

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026

Photographer Sebastian Pii is the perfect guide through the bewildering mysticism of Colombian writer-director Augusto Sandino’s debut.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025

Just as early youth means the endless fascination of new encounters, it also brings sudden, bewildering losses.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

The noise never let up: car horns, bicycle bells and the cracking of whips combined to produce a deafening bewildering clamour, amid which is was impossible to heed every warning sound.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

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