bemusement

noun

Definition of bemusementnext
as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty an expression of utter bemusement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 bemusement Skipping inside, Nora joins a cadre of shambling interns whom the editorial staff regard with a mixture of bemusement and disdain. — Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026 Erika looks on with the malevolent bemusement of a college cheerleader coming back to homecoming to judge her old high school squad. — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026 Just across the street from the Golf Course Terrace home, a few Bermuda grass lawns had actual weeds sprouting up — a source of bemusement for the homeowner. — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 18 Aug. 2026 But there was a kind of bemusement with our fascination with the Wild West and our fixation on cowboys, and a sense that America has gone off the rails. — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026 While not a good show by any stretch of the imagination — and there are many stretches to be made here — the Netflix series does manage to conjure so-bad-its-good bemusement. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 June 2026 The Professional can certainly be understood as a nonlinear narrative of an artist on the peripheries of music, navigating a world far from home with equal parts amusement and bemusement. — Levi Dayan, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026 To friends and strangers alike, our unusual authorly posture—two spouses, both with academic backgrounds but neither presently working in academia, teaming up to write a trade book on a literary subject—is a source of bemusement. — Literary Hub, 2 June 2026 Originally greeted with bemusement, Pratt is now upending the race with early voting underway ahead of the June 2 election. — Jonathan J. Cooper, Fortune, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bemusement
  1. confusion
  2. fog
  3. bewilderment
  4. bafflement
Noun
  • Almeida said Election Day confusion is possible in some precincts but the nature of the threat requires a collective effort.
    — STEVE PEOPLES, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Lula’s victory followed confusion at polling places after Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ordered a last-minute, two-hour extension of voting nationwide.
    — David Unsworth , Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of confusion
Noun
  • The morning fog had lifted as Bates trails one of his delivery trucks and its driver, Lee Wood.
    — Rachel Siegel, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Oyamel firs thrive in cool, moist, mountainous environments, usually between 1,200 and 4,100 meters (3,940–13,450 feet) above sea level, where fog and precipitation are common.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of fog
Noun
  • Religion, fear, prejudice, affection, money, family history, and bewilderment can crowd the same room.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
  • There are four of us on staff at The Verge actively testing Googlebooks and, frankly, our internal Slack discussions have been mostly filled with collective venting of frustrations, disappointments, and bewilderment.
    — Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of bewilderment
Noun
  • Opening in limited release on October 15, critics are more or less united in their awe, amusement, and sheer bafflement at what Fielder and Oppenheim were able to capture.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Bartiromo’s former colleagues and friends talked about her MAGA transformation with bafflement and disappointment.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of bafflement

Browse Nearby Words

bemused
bemusement
bemusements
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bemusement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bemusement. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All