bedazzle

verb

be·​daz·​zle bi-ˈda-zəl 

bē-

bedazzled; bedazzling; bedazzles

transitive verb

1

: to impress forcefully : enchant, fascinate

She dressed to kill, glittering with jewels in wondrous costumes to bedazzle her subjects.

—Johanna McGeary

In the first half of the century, English estate gardeners created the bedding system, a technique for displaying exotics in seasonally changing vignettes designed to bedazzle onlookers, much like modern-day department store windows.

—Mary Forsell

2

: to embellish by or as if by the use of a rhinestone setting machine : to decorate colorfully or elaborately especially with shiny embellishments

Abbie looked glamorous in her picture as she wore a baby blue satin dance costume, which was bedazzled with mirrored sequins and crystals.

—Charlotte Dean

Sparkles from a TikTok filter bedazzle the footage.

—Kyle Chayka

3

: to confuse by or as if by a strong light : dazzle

Either the sudden gleams of light flashing over the obscure field bedazzled Goodman Brown, or he recognized a score of the church members of Salem village famous for their especial sanctity.

—Nathaniel Hawthorne

The British press, glumly conditioned to watching U.S. boxers flatten Britain's best, crowed with delight. Bragged the Daily Mirror: "[Randolph] Turpin became world champion without any of the hokum that Americans have used to bedazzle and bamboozle their opponents before the fight."

—Time Magazine

bedazzlement

bi-ˈda-zəl-mənt 

bē-

noun

plural bedazzlements

Synonyms

• arrest
• catch up
• enchant
• enthrall
• enthral
• fascinate
• grip
• hypnotize
• mesmerize
• spellbind

Examples of bedazzle in a Sentence

fans bedazzled by movie stars

don't let their promises of immense riches bedazzle you

Recent Examples on the Web

The celebration, which included music blaring through speakers, featured golden cars with Trump's face on the front and bedazzled Trump jackets. —Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2024

Victoria's Secret bodysuit embellished with 18,500 crystal beads and bedazzled kiss marks, before capping off the evening with a 1996 Gucci by Tom Ford lace minidress, also from Tab Vintage, for the afterparty. —Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2024

Yet Wood’s piece pokes fun at her own artistic clout, not only by documenting some of her most ignorant critics but also by taking the form of a fringed throw blanket bedazzled with glass beads that coalesce into a halo around Wood’s self-portrait. —K. L. H. Wells, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2024

And yet Jenner has, since 2016, been a fixture at the Met Gala, ascending the museum’s steps in everything from bedazzled Balmain to vampish Versace. —Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 13 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

bedazzle

verb

be·​daz·​zle bi-ˈdaz-əl 

: dazzle sense 1

bedazzlement

-mənt 

noun