bewilderment
Americannoun
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bewildered state.
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a confusing maze or tangle, as of objects or conditions.
a bewilderment of smoke, noise, and pushing people.
Etymology
Origin of bewilderment
Explanation
If you spoke nothing but German one day to your English-speaking friends and co-workers, it would probably result in complete bewilderment. Bewilderment is a state of being confused and puzzled. Bewilderment means not understanding, but it goes beyond that — it implies a state of complete mystification. People experience bewilderment when they are utterly baffled by the situation at hand. The word is a relatively new one, first recorded in the 1680s as a combination of be, "thoroughly," and wilder, "lead astray or lure into the wilds." You can think of bewilderment as being led into the wilderness and left to puzzle your way out.
Vocabulary lists containing bewilderment
The Giver
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"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The bewilderment that followed was real — both inside and outside the White House.
From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026
After a moment of bewilderment, Cowell shouted "surprise" and proceeded to high-five the boys.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026
The crushing response sent society into shock and mourning, in an atmosphere of silence, bewilderment, anger and uncertainty about the future.
From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026
Elsewhere in the crowd, bewilderment laced with anger when families who had been informed that their loved ones would be released discovered they weren’t on the buses after all.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 13, 2025
Our power and our fear of change help bind these people to their misery and bewilderment, and insofar as they find this state intolerable we are intolerably menaced.
From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
