bewildering

1 of 2

adjective

be·​wil·​der·​ing bi-ˈwil-d(ə-)riŋ 

bē-

: extremely confusing or difficult to understand

an utterly bewildering experience

a bewildering number of possibilities

… a place of odd traditions and bewildering practices.

—David Williamson

bewilderingly adverb

a bewilderingly complex situation

bewildering

2 of 2

present participle of bewilder

Examples of bewildering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Released three years after the similarly freewheeling Nekkuja, the album bubbles over with interdimensional ambition and zigzagging ideas, anchored by her ability to command bewildering expanses of melody and form. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026

But the group show is full of colorful, creative and bewildering stuff, with the kind of visceral appeal that makes viewers pay attention. — Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2026

By now, the months leading up to the ceremony—starting with the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where Anora won the Palme d’Or—are one big, bewildering blur to her. — Marley Marius, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026

For a working adult, deciding to go back to school can be a lonely and bewildering experience. — Brian Hartnack, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1761, in the meaning defined above