as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion
new federal regulations that the easily bemused should make no attempt to read and understand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in intrigued
to hold the attention of
a public that seemed more bemused by the shenanigans of celebrities than by a war being waged half a world away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in puzzled
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
the stage mishap momentarily bemused the actress
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of bemused
Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Jan. 2025
Mike Piazza still seems bemused by the twists of fate in 1998 and beyond that have turned him into a franchise icon.
—Jerry Beach, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
The Beatles themselves can only offer bemused waves and baffled chuckles.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024
Russian drone operators noticed the cyclist leading a BMP infantry fighting vehicle—and posted a recording of their drone feed online, along with their bemused commentary.
—David Axe, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bemused
Adjective
Hearing his sentence, Mr. Trump – just over a week away from his inauguration – appeared bemused and defiant, delivering a five-minute address to the court before the judge handed down his sentence.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Jan. 2025
Mike Piazza still seems bemused by the twists of fate in 1998 and beyond that have turned him into a franchise icon.
—Jerry Beach, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
The Beatles themselves can only offer bemused waves and baffled chuckles.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024
Russian drone operators noticed the cyclist leading a BMP infantry fighting vehicle—and posted a recording of their drone feed online, along with their bemused commentary.
—David Axe, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bemused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bemused
Adjective
-
Hubbard’s bewildered eyes locked on Pacific Palisades, a Los Angeles community reshaped by flames.—
Bryce Miller,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Feb. 2025
-
Anyone else is likely to emerge unharmed, if a little bewildered that these good-looking but skin-deep figures merited feature treatment.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Furthermore, Arjona was intrigued by Nilson and Schwartz’s approach toward casting the rest of the film.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
30 Dec. 2024
-
As a bourbon reviewer who enjoys the flavor of spirits but has always been easily prone to hangovers, Eric Burke was intrigued.—
Corinne Purtill,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
After this, the responsibilities of playing Bush fell to Hammond and later Will Forte, who fit the character more into his own image of a silly little boy in a man’s body rather than re-enact Ferrell’s dazed and confused moron shtick.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
15 Feb. 2025
-
On March 10th, the dazed citizens of Tinseltown reached for their gowns and tuxedos and filled the Biltmore Bowl, which was packed to capacity.—
Michael Schulman,
The New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
For many, the frenetic nature of the firings has left them confused – and even days later – without a full accounting of their termination.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
The Mercury News,
19 Feb. 2025
-
Build your strategy around results Showing up to your laptop without a plan will leave you confused, tired and unsure about the next step.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
What fascinated me about the book is how everybody is part of this drive that this woman had.—
Adam Moss,
Vulture,
19 Dec. 2024
-
As a young child, Johnson was fascinated by books.—
Calvin Tomkins,
The New Yorker,
9 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
That slides into the date previously occupied by Matt Reeves The Batman sequel, which is currently untitled.—
Pamela McClintock,
The Hollywood Reporter,
27 Dec. 2024
-
The century-old watchmaker stopped operations when the Soviets occupied East Germany post-WWII.—
Allen Farmelo,
Robb Report,
26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
In the midst of this domestic stress, Fang Di keeps Tian Tian safe and distracted.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
The Hollywood Reporter,
17 Feb. 2025
-
In fact, he’s almost forgotten the commitment altogether, too distracted by his latest 20-something girlfriend’s terrible open mic poetry reading.—
Olivia-Anne Cleary,
TIME,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
In another photo, the trio of ladies were immersed in conversation, as was Chalamet, and all four stars were smiling.—
Julia Moore,
People.com,
6 Jan. 2025
-
Some tea bags release billions of tiny plastic particles when immersed in hot water, creating tea that can harm your health and increase your risk of cancer—but not all tea is equally as dangerous.—
Hatty Willmoth,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bemused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bemused. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share