bewilderment

noun be·wil·der·ment \ -dər-mənt \

Definition of bewilderment

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

Examples of bewilderment in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of bewilderment from the Web

Cabrera is the type of player who will offer hugs on the field, create nicknames for teammates and flash his palms to the sky in mock bewilderment when a deep fly ball does not leave the yard.

— rustin dodd, kansascity, "‘Gotta have heart:’ The inside story of the Royals’ new hand gestures," 17 Aug. 2017
Transgender ban: President Donald Trump turned a lot of heads Wednesday after announcing the administration was barring transgender people from serving in the military, a move that caused some bewilderment, even from his fellow Republicans.

— seth a. richardson, cleveland.com, "Most mayoral candidates weren't eligible for the Democratic endorsement: Ohio Politics Roundup," 28 July 2017
But that doesn’t mean that Twitter's bewilderment has been totally dispelled.

— kara nesvig, Teen Vogue, "Abby Lee Miller's Social Media Accounts Are Still Being Updated and the Internet Is Confused," 26 July 2017
There’s also a general sense of bewilderment as to why Trump gave the interview.

— michael arceneaux, The Root, "Donald Trump Has Always Been a Disloyal Thot," 24 July 2017
These would swathe the floor of their home, to the delight of her toddler, and to the amused bewilderment of her tidy-minded Czech husband.

— The Economist, "Adding upObituary: Maryam Mirzakhani died on July 14th," 20 July 2017
Bullies receive their fuel from others’ reactions: fear, intimidation, bewilderment -- along with the drama of dominance.

— amy dickinson, Detroit Free Press, "Sisters’ animosity leads to family phase-out," 14 July 2017
The two men alternately marveled at Donald Jr.'s decisionmaking, sympathized with his presumably-apoplectic lawyers, and otherwise expressed their genuine bewilderment with the entire thing.

— jay willis, GQ, "Watch John Oliver and Stephen Colbert Barely Hold It Together Talking About Donald Trump Jr.," 13 July 2017
Bullies receive their fuel from others' reactions: fear, intimidation, bewilderment — along with the drama of dominance.

— amy dickinson, chicagotribune.com, "Father's baiting leads to estrangement," 26 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bewilderment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of bewilderment

1793

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