bewildering

adjective

be·​wil·​der·​ing bi-ˈwil-d(ə-)riŋ 

bē-

: extremely confusing or difficult to understand

an utterly bewildering experience

a bewildering number of possibilities

… a place of odd traditions and bewildering practices.

—David Williamson

bewilderingly adverb

a bewilderingly complex situation

Examples of bewildering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Makhachev’s only loss in 30 career bouts came against Adriano Martins in October 2015, a result that has gone down as one of the most bewildering in UFC history with each passing Makhachev win. — Mark Puleo, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026

But the ordeal was frightening and bewildering for Cliffel, who still didn't know what had caused her behavior. — Deborah Becker, NPR, 16 Aug. 2026

Over the last few months, Instagram has added a slew of features that are helpful for creators, but that might seem slightly bewildering to everyone else. — Mia Sato, The Verge, 21 July 2026

The act behind the most bewildering ambient techno of the past 15 years is not a shadowy syndicate or group of evil geniuses. — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 6 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined above