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
Examples of bewilderment in a Sentence
the slightest change in her daily routine leaves her in complete bewilderment
Recent Examples on the Web
But Carlson, with an air of blissful ignorance, could only sit back and listen, as if induced to a state of bewilderment by Putin’s genius.
—
John Hewko, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024
At Republic Day balls organized across small Anatolian towns only years after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the loss of its European provinces, Kemalist bureaucrats would dance to European tunes played by jazz bands, to the bewilderment of the attending Anatolian peasants.
—Soner Cagaptay, Foreign Affairs, 19 Feb. 2024
Confusion Over Competing Contests When primary ballots absent Trump’s name began hitting mailboxes, Republicans across the state reacted with angry bewilderment.
—Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 5 Feb. 2024
Reaction to this scene in online fan communities has been one of great bewilderment.
—Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 10 Mar. 2024
As a result, when Liverpool’s then-English record bid for Moises Caicedo, around €130 million ($141 million), failed to bring the Ecuadorian to Anfield, there was a sense of bewilderment when the more senior Endō, costing roughly €20 million ($21 million), arrived in his place.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
At times, between the airing of grievances, Putin appeared to school Carlson on historical events as the host looked on in bewilderment.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024
Audiences weighing in on social media tended to express exasperation and bewilderment.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2024
The score, which will be performed by a nine-member orchestra, reflects the colonel’s profound bewilderment.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 25 Jan. 2024
John Hewko, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024
At Republic Day balls organized across small Anatolian towns only years after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the loss of its European provinces, Kemalist bureaucrats would dance to European tunes played by jazz bands, to the bewilderment of the attending Anatolian peasants.
—Soner Cagaptay, Foreign Affairs, 19 Feb. 2024
Confusion Over Competing Contests When primary ballots absent Trump’s name began hitting mailboxes, Republicans across the state reacted with angry bewilderment.
—Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 5 Feb. 2024
Reaction to this scene in online fan communities has been one of great bewilderment.
—Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 10 Mar. 2024
As a result, when Liverpool’s then-English record bid for Moises Caicedo, around €130 million ($141 million), failed to bring the Ecuadorian to Anfield, there was a sense of bewilderment when the more senior Endō, costing roughly €20 million ($21 million), arrived in his place.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
At times, between the airing of grievances, Putin appeared to school Carlson on historical events as the host looked on in bewilderment.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024
Audiences weighing in on social media tended to express exasperation and bewilderment.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2024
The score, which will be performed by a nine-member orchestra, reflects the colonel’s profound bewilderment.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 25 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bewilderment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bewilderment
Cite this Entry
“Bewilderment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bewilderment. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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