bewilderment
gb/bɪwˈɪldɚmənt/ us/bɪwˈɪldɚmənt/
B2
English
~ 8900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
state
1
state of great confusion
A feeling of being very confused and not able to understand something.
Usage pattern:
in bewilderment
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *bewilderment* where *wonder* or *amazement* is better. *Bewilderment* always focuses on not understanding something, not just being impressed. For example, say "She watched in bewilderment" when she is confused, but "She watched in amazement" when she is surprised in a positive way and does understand what is happening.
Synonyms
confusion (More general and common; may be weaker and less intense than bewilderment.)
|
puzzlement (Suggests being mildly or thoughtfully confused, often less overwhelming than bewilderment.)
|
bafflement (Very close in strength to bewilderment, often with a sense that something seems impossible to explain.)
Antonyms
clarity (Emphasizes a clear and easy understanding, the opposite of mental confusion.)
|
understanding (Focuses on having grasped an idea or situation, not being confused by it.)
Collocations
in bewilderment
|look of bewilderment
|utter bewilderment
|total bewilderment
|stare in bewilderment
|shake [one's] head in bewilderment
Themes
emotions
|mental_states
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She stared at the complicated contract in utter bewilderment.
- His sudden change of attitude left his colleagues in complete bewilderment.
- The instructions were so unclear that a feeling of bewilderment spread through the room.
- Tourists often show visible bewilderment when they first try to use the city’s ticket machines.
- He looked from one diagram to another in bewilderment, unable to follow the explanation.
Learner examples
- The students felt great bewilderment during the fast lesson.
- I watched in bewilderment as the numbers on the screen changed.
- Her face showed pure bewilderment when she read the long form.
- There was a moment of bewilderment when the lights went out.
- He sat in silence, his eyes full of bewilderment.
Noun
B2
state
2
confused surprise at something
A feeling of surprise and confusion because something happens that you did not expect and cannot explain.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s bewilderment at [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *bewilderment* when they mean only strong surprise. Use *bewilderment* when the person is both surprised and confused, especially when they cannot explain the situation. If the person understands but is just surprised, words like *surprise* or *shock* are usually more natural.
Synonyms
astonishment (Focuses more on strong surprise; may include wonder, while bewilderment stresses not understanding.)
|
disbelief (Emphasizes not wanting or being able to accept something as true, not just being confused.)
Antonyms
recognition (Suggests that something is expected or familiar, not surprising or confusing.)
|
comprehension (Focuses on fully understanding an unexpected event instead of feeling confused by it.)
Collocations
to [someone]'s bewilderment
|watch in bewilderment as [clause]
|express bewilderment at [something]
|share [someone]'s bewilderment
|gasp in bewilderment
Themes
emotions
|mental_states
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- To her bewilderment, the usually quiet cat suddenly leaped onto the table and knocked over a glass.
- Their flight was cancelled without warning, and the passengers looked around in bewilderment.
- He opened the exam paper, and to his bewilderment, none of the questions were on the topics he had studied.
- To my bewilderment, the store was closed in the middle of the day with no sign on the door.
- The crowd watched in bewilderment as the scoreboard suddenly went blank.
Learner examples
- To my bewilderment, my keys were in the fridge.
- She looked at me in bewilderment when I said I was moving tomorrow.
- To his bewilderment, the bus drove past without stopping.
- We stood in bewilderment as the machine started to smoke.
- To their bewilderment, the music stopped and all the lights went off.
Grammar
Dictionary form
bewilderment
IPA
GB/bɪwˈɪldɚmənt/
US/bɪwˈɪldɚmənt/
Syllables & stress
be - wil - der - ment (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (wil)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: bewilderment
- Plural: bewilderment
Word family
Core family
Related words
bewilderingly
adverb
Expressions
in bewilderment
1/ˈɪn bɪwˈɪldɚmənt/
fixed phrase
while feeling very confused
Used to say that someone does something while feeling very confused and not understanding what is happening.
Examples
- She looked at the strange message in bewilderment.
- The children stared in bewilderment as the robot started talking.
- He turned the map upside down, then back again, in bewilderment.
to someone's bewilderment
1/tə sˈʌmwˌʌnz bɪwˈɪldɚmənt/
fixed phrase
causing someone confused surprise
Used to show that something happens which makes a person feel very surprised and confused.
Examples
- To my bewilderment, the train went in the opposite direction.
- To their bewilderment, the meeting ended after only five minutes.
- To her bewilderment, everyone started laughing, but she did not understand the joke.