bewildering

1 of 2

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

bewildering

2 of 2

present participle of bewilder

Examples of bewildering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The defense under first-year, first-time defensive coordinator Christian Parker continues to play at a level that is no longer bewildering but a state that will get people fired, most notably himself. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2026

Part of this problem is that the crews have to deal with a bewildering array of buttons, switches, and other physical controls. — New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026

Released three years after the similarly freewheeling Nekkuja, the album bubbles over with interdimensional ambition and zigzagging ideas, anchored by her ability to command bewildering expanses of melody and form. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026

But the group show is full of colorful, creative and bewildering stuff, with the kind of visceral appeal that makes viewers pay attention. — Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1761, in the meaning defined above