bemuse

1 to hold the attention of a public that seemed more bemused by the shenanigans of celebrities than by a war being waged half a world away Synonyms absorb, engage, busy, catch up, engross, enthrall (or enthral), enwrap, fascinate, grip, immerse, interest, intrigue, involve, occupyRelated Words allure, attract, beguile, bewitch, captivate, charm, enchant, obsess; hypnotize, mesmerize; distract, preoccupy; hog, monopolizeNear Antonyms bore, jade, pall, tire, weary

2 to throw into a state of mental uncertainty the stage mishap momentarily bemused the actress Synonyms addle, baffle, bamboozle, beat, befog, befuddle, confuse, bewilder, buffalo, confound, discombobulate, disorient, flummox, fox, fuddle, get, gravel, maze, muddle, muddy, mystify, perplex, pose, puzzle, vexRelated Words stick, stump, weird out; abash, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, mortify, nonplus, rattle; agitate, bother, chagrin, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distress, disturb, perturb, stun, unhinge, unsettle, upset; beguile, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fool, gull, hoax, hoodwink, humbug, misguide, mislead, snow, string along, take in, trickNear Antonyms assure, reassure, satisfy; enlighten, inform