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.

"I'm not angry. I'm just bewildered, confused, unhappy," she said.

From Barron's

Foden was unable to continue after the incident, which left England defender Harry Maguire bewildered how it had not warranted a red card.

From BBC

"I said earlier that I feel like I'm playing Fifa. You can score three goals like that in 20 minutes?" the bewildered US international said after their emphatic 5-2 win over Spurs.

From BBC

And we propelled the bewildered old man across to the Beje.

From Literature

We all stood there, bewildered at the terrifying crescendo of sound we were now hearing.

From Literature

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