bewilderment

noun

be·​wil·​der·​ment bi-ˈwil-dər-mənt 

bē-

1

: the quality or state of being lost, perplexed, or confused : the quality or state of being bewildered

She stared at them in bewilderment.

2

: a complicated or confusing state or condition : a bewildering tangle or confusion

a bewilderment of streets

Synonyms

• bafflement
• bamboozlement
• befuddlement
• bemusement
• bewilderedness
• confusedness
• confusion
• discombobulation
• distraction
• fog
• head-scratching
• maze [chiefly dialect]
• muddle
• mystification
• perplexity
• puzzlement
• tangle
• whirl

Examples of bewilderment in a Sentence

the slightest change in her daily routine leaves her in complete bewilderment

Recent Examples on the Web

Garr's character watches in bewilderment as her husband becomes increasingly fixated on UFOs. —Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 29 Oct. 2024

The video captures a few seconds of the cat's bewilderment at being outside, then the owner opens the door, and the tabby runs into the house with an appreciative mewl. —Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

There’s something behind them, though—exhaustion, dread, sheer bewilderment at the choices some of his fellow Americans have made. —David Litt, TIME, 31 Oct. 2024

But in the wake of Bezos’s decision not to endorse, many Post staffers have been left with unanswered questions and a sense of bewilderment over the reasoning behind the move. —Hadas Gold, CNN, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1793, in the meaning defined at sense 1