bemused 1 of 2

adjective

bi-ˈmyüzd How to pronounce bemused (audio)
Definition of bemusednext
as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion new federal regulations that the easily bemused should make no attempt to read and understand

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bemused

2 of 2

verb

past tense of bemuse
1
as in intrigued
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in puzzled
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty the stage mishap momentarily bemused the actress

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bemused
Adjective
Then came the World Cup, and for a month, a curious if somewhat bemused country sampled the world’s game up close. — Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026 Sweetest children, Granny said, sounding bemused. — Audrey Schmidt, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026
Verb
Herrington, once bemused by how cultlike the principles seemed, now views them as an indispensable guide for culture at Amazon—and one that’s stood the test of time and will continue to do so. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026 Needless to say, Ben Shelton (who ended up winning the men’s event) and his opponent Karen Khachanov were bemused by the interruption. — Max Gao, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bemused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bemused
  1. bewildered
  2. intrigued
  3. puzzled
  4. dazed
  5. interested
  6. baffled
  7. confused
  8. fascinated
Adjective
  • On Douban, a popular Chinese movie-review platform, viewers piled on with mocking and bewildered comments.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • That's when Penix, who was standing nearby, pointed at him and made a bewildered face.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of bewildered
Verb
  • Cabrera’s raw talent intrigued Jed Hoyer’s front office for years.
    — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Many will be intrigued by Florian Zeller’s latest, featuring real-life couple Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, about an architect building a survivalist bunker for a billionaire and his wife, who questions his involvement.
    — David Bloom, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of intrigued
Verb
  • Three bears were taken, and, in keeping with the southern tradition of bear hunting, Roosevelt’s hosts were a bit puzzled by the president’s disappointment.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The discovery is the latest example of DNA offering new clues about diseases and deaths that have puzzled researchers for centuries.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of puzzled
Adjective
  • Daemon struggles to his feet, dazed, and begins cleaving his way through the smouldering city.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Grutman approaches Hart’s character, who is on the ground dazed and disheveled from a wild night out.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
Definition of dazed
Verb
  • But what really interested us with this movie was trying to understand the humanity and searching for and exploring the love and the loyalty to characters to have a dialogue with an audience and not do it for the sake of ego or shock.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Camerlenghi says Gradara Castle has interested him since his childhood.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2026
Definition of interested
Verb
  • She is baffled by the way her friends Moe and Fumina rail against their parents, especially when Yuko is always holding back at home, forever walking on eggshells.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Al Roker was baffled to come face to face with his doppelgänger on the Today show plaza.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of baffled
Adjective
  • The agent sitting next to him on the plane also seemed confused.
    — Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The Citi Field crowd seemed both confused and enthused when the opening notes of Jackson’s 1982 hit began to play.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of confused
Verb
  • The tension, the uncertainty, the hovering between bravery and cowardice captures some of what fascinated me in Muriel Rukeyser’s novel Savage Coast.
    — Anne E. Fernald, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Garfield remembers being fascinated by the rows of VHS tapes and the possibilities behind their covers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of fascinated

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Cite this Entry

“Bemused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bemused. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bemused

Nglish: Translation of bemused for Spanish Speakers

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