1
: marked by confusion or bewilderment : dazed
… he was fumbling with the sheets, and looking down at them with a slightly bemused expression as though the stuff before him was in a foreign language …—
Robert Penn Warren
Robert Penn Warren2
: lost in thought or reverie
… as distant and bemused as a Professor Emeritus listening to the prattling of his freshman class.—Michael Straight
Michael Straight3
: having or showing feelings of wry amusement especially from something that is surprising or perplexing
This is not another of those now popular books about a bemused outsider's sojourn in rural France, brimming with colorful locals and heart-warming anecdotes.—J. D. McClatchy
J. D. McClatchy
bemusedly
bi-ˈmyü-zəd-lē 
adverb
bē-
Harry looked bemusedly at the photograph Colin was brandishing under his nose.
—J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling
Examples of bemused in a Sentence
new federal regulations that the easily bemused should make no attempt to read and understand
Recent Examples on the Web
The fun of this drink starts, of course, with the name, which weighs in at 11 words (and one punctuation mark) and with which people tend to be both amused and bemused.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 17 Jan. 2026
What Happens Next As of now, MrBeast has not indicated any serious intention to involve himself in the NewJeans dispute beyond his bemused Twitter response.
—Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
When the lights finally dimmed 45 minutes later, Safdie took the front of the theater after an affectionate introduction from Sacco, giving a somewhat bemused apology about the delay before diving into his remarks.
—Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 17 Dec. 2025
His facial expressions are often pained or bemused.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bemused
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.
Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 17 Jan. 2026
What Happens Next As of now, MrBeast has not indicated any serious intention to involve himself in the NewJeans dispute beyond his bemused Twitter response.
—Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
When the lights finally dimmed 45 minutes later, Safdie took the front of the theater after an affectionate introduction from Sacco, giving a somewhat bemused apology about the delay before diving into his remarks.
—Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 17 Dec. 2025
His facial expressions are often pained or bemused.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bemused
Cite this Entry
“Bemused.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bemused. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
