bewilder

/bɪˈwɪldər/

/bɪˈwɪldə/

Other forms: bewildered; bewildering; bewilders

To bewilder is to amaze, baffle, dumbfound, flummox, perplex, or stupefy. When you bewilder people, you confuse them.

Bewilder is a fun-sounding word for confusion-causing. A complicated math problem will bewilder many students. A magician's tricks should bewilder the audience. Mystery stories should be a little bewildering, at least until the end. Sometimes, being bewildered has a more emotional element. If someone you know died in a freak accident, that would bewilder you in a very sad way.

Definitions of bewilder

1. verb

   cause to be confused emotionally
   synonyms: bemuse, discombobulate, throw

   type of:

   discomfit, discompose, disconcert, rattle, untune, upset

   cause to lose one's composure
2. verb

   be puzzling or bewildering to
   synonyms: amaze, baffle, beat, dumbfound, flummox, get, gravel, mystify, nonplus, perplex, pose, puzzle, stick, stupefy, vex

   types:

   mix up, stump

   cause to be perplexed or confounded

   riddle

   set a difficult problem or riddle

   elude, escape

   be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by

   defy, refuse, resist

   elude, especially in a baffling way

   type of:

   bedevil, befuddle, confound, confuse, discombobulate, fox, fuddle, throw

   be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly