bewilderment

noun

be·​wil·​der·​ment bi-ˈwil-dər-mənt How to pronounce bewilderment (audio)
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

Examples of bewilderment in a Sentence

the slightest change in her daily routine leaves her in complete bewilderment
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
When that turned into mass annihilation, the most frequent Israeli excuse was the population’s state of shock, trauma, exhaustion and bewilderment, the sensation of being under threat from outsiders and in imminent danger. Uriel Kon september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025 Plans were met with questions, reservations, rejection, bewilderment, violence, and, more recently, a yawn. Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025 In the sketches, which have racked up millions upon millions of views, Ketai overaccentuates Gadot’s singsongy Israeli accent but also seems to be processing human emotion for the very first time with wide-eyed bewilderment. David MacK, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025 The president is working overtime to smother the divide, expressing bewilderment and anger at his supporters' fixation on the Epstein case. Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 18 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for bewilderment

Word History

First Known Use

1793, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bewilderment was in 1793

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Cite this Entry

“Bewilderment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bewilderment. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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