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

Then, to the bewilderment of almost everyone in MLB circles, Elias did not attempt during the recent offseason to trade the O’s surplus of young position players for proven starting pitching. —Paul Bledsoe, Baltimore Sun, 21 May 2025

Adding to the bewilderment many people felt at the breakneck pace of events, the truce was initially announced not by India or Pakistan but by President Trump on social media. —Anupreeta Das, New York Times, 10 May 2025

Possibly connected to the case which scared James into hiding, Russell (Dipo Ola) serves as the audience’s stand-in, responding to all of his new partner’s idiosyncrasies with a mixture of bewilderment and awe. —Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2025

The reaction across the region ranged from frantic stockpiling to confused bewilderment to calmly hunkering down and making do with old-fashioned electricity-free ways of living. —Natasha Frost, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1793, in the meaning defined at sense 1