bewilderment

noun

be·​wil·​der·​ment bi-ˈwil-dər-mənt 

bē-

1

: the quality or state of being lost, perplexed, or confused : the quality or state of being bewildered

She stared at them in bewilderment.

2

: a complicated or confusing state or condition : a bewildering tangle or confusion

a bewilderment of streets

Synonyms

• bafflement
• bamboozlement
• befuddlement
• bemusement
• bewilderedness
• confusedness
• confusion
• discombobulation
• distraction
• fog
• head-scratching
• maze [chiefly dialect]
• muddle
• mystification
• perplexity
• puzzlement
• tangle
• whirl

Examples of bewilderment in a Sentence

the slightest change in her daily routine leaves her in complete bewilderment

Recent Examples on the Web

After commenting on how much the country has been through over the past four years, including a global pandemic, Obama expressed bewilderment that Trump gets support from anyone. —Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2024

During the early Cold War, that dissatisfaction led to an outpouring of grief and despair and bewilderment and, in the end, a handful of creative and intellectual breakthroughs with staying power beyond their immediate moment. —Beverly Gage, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021

Listening through hundreds of songs and whittling down these lists with the Pitchfork staff has been full of laughter and bewilderment and tough debates. —Pitchfork, 30 Sep. 2024

In time, however, the shock and bewilderment softened. —Longreads, 10 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1793, in the meaning defined at sense 1