bewilder

verb

be·​wil·​der bi-ˈwil-dər How to pronounce bewilder (audio)
bē-
bewildered; bewildering bi-ˈwil-d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce bewilder (audio)
bē-
Synonyms of bewildernext

transitive verb

1
: to cause to lose one's bearings (see bearing sense 6c)
bewildered by the city's maze of roads
2
: to perplex or confuse especially by a complexity, variety, or multitude of objects or considerations
His decision bewildered her.
utterly bewildered by the instructions
bewilderedly adverb
bewilderedness noun

Synonyms

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Choose the Right Synonym for bewilder

puzzle, perplex, bewilder, distract, nonplus, confound, dumbfound mean to baffle and disturb mentally.

puzzle implies existence of a problem difficult to solve.

the persistent fever puzzled the doctor

perplex adds a suggestion of worry and uncertainty especially about making a necessary decision.

a behavior that perplexed her friends

bewilder stresses a confusion of mind that hampers clear and decisive thinking.

a bewildering number of possibilities

distract implies agitation or uncertainty induced by conflicting preoccupations or interests.

distracted by personal problems

nonplus implies a bafflement that makes orderly planning or deciding impossible.

the remark left us utterly nonplussed

confound implies temporary mental paralysis caused by astonishment or profound abasement.

the tragic news confounded us all

dumbfound suggests intense but momentary confounding; often the idea of astonishment is so stressed that it becomes a near synonym of astound.

was at first too dumbfounded to reply

Examples of bewilder in a Sentence

the change in policy seems to have bewildered many of our customers
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That’s all bewildering plot-wise, but Morrison also bewilders readers through language. — The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025 Meanwhile, Ukrainians are bewildered, wondering how the U.S. went so quickly from isolating the Kremlin to appearing to embrace it. — Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 24 Feb. 2025 This is also mainly why the Silicon Valley money layer are still somewhat baffled and bewildered by gaming. — Ollie Barder, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024 The cat, named Ameera, looked bewildered by her family early start to the day. — Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bewilder

Word History

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bewilder was in 1633

Rhymes for bewilder

See All Rhymes for bewilder

Browse Nearby Words

be wild about
bewilder
bewildered
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Cite this Entry

“Bewilder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bewilder. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

bewilder

verb
be·​wil·​der bi-ˈwil-dər How to pronounce bewilder (audio)
bewildered; bewildering -d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce bewilder (audio)
: to confuse especially with a great many things to worry about
bewilderingly
-d(ə-)riŋ-lē How to pronounce bewilder (audio)
adverb
bewilderment
-dər-mənt
noun

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Nglish: Translation of bewilder for Spanish Speakers

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