bewildered

adjective

be·​wil·​dered bi-ˈwil-dərd How to pronounce bewildered (audio)
bē-
: deeply or utterly confused or perplexed
I was appalled and was too bewildered to do or say anything.Bram Stoker
He looked at her with a bewildered expression.
Speaking for myself, I stumbled into motherhood and was bewildered at the shift of gears, the volte-face required to reorient myself, my values and my way of life into being a carer of small children.Madeleine Bunting

Examples of bewildered in a Sentence

the bewildered child wandered aimlessly around the playground
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.
Apart from the odd bewildered tourist or local going about their day, the vast majority of people in the carriage were heading to what most regarded as a ‘must-win’ match at home to Everton and the vibe, like the team’s results in 2025, was mixed. Simon Johnson, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025 Every lap felt like a mind-numbing carousel ride through car exhaust and past bewildered pedestrians, while inhaling burrito-scented air. Marley Dickinson, Outside Online, 17 Apr. 2025 Morgan Freeman anchors the film as the bewildered professor who watches Lucy's transformation into a post-human deity with increasing awe. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025 In the two years since Tommy Elliott was killed in a mass shooting, Maryanne Elliott’s grief has, in turns, left her aghast and overwhelmed, bewildered and incapacitated, grateful and wanting to die. Kristina Goetz, USA Today, 13 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bewildered

Word History

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bewildered was in 1760

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bewildered.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bewildered. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on bewildered

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!