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

And instead of a brilliant gamble, his move to call snap legislative elections after the RN’s win in European Parliament elections on June 10, will go down as one of the most bewildering own-goals in French political history. —Cole Stangler, TIME, 8 July 2024

The Earth has racked up more than 12 straight months of record heat, a bewildering climate change milestone. —N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 8 July 2024

For someone whose bewildering on-stage persona stands so far apart, there can be no other answer. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 5 July 2024

For a still-young man of exceptional talents — for strategy, oratory, lucidity and timing — his fall is bewildering. —Lee Hockstader, Washington Post, 1 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined above