bemuse

bemuse
verb
be·;muse bi-;my;z  b;-
bemused; bemusing; bemuses
Synonyms of bemuse
transitive verb

1
: to make confused : puzzle, bewilder
2
: to occupy the attention of : distract, absorb
has bemused audiences around the world
3
: to cause to have feelings of wry or tolerant amusement
seems truly bemused that people beyond his circle in Seattle would be interested in his ruminations
—Ruth B. Smith
bemusement
bi-;my;z-m;nt
b;-
 noun


Did you know?
In 1735, British poet Alexander Pope lamented, in rhyme, being besieged by “a parson much bemus’d in beer.” The cleric in question was apparently one of a horde of would-be poets who pestered Pope with requests that he read their verses. Pope meant that the parson had found his muse—his inspiration—in beer. That use of bemused harks back to a 1705 letter in which Pope wrote of “Poets … irrecoverably Be-mus’d.” In both letter and poem, Pope used bemused to allude to being inspired by or devoted to one of the Muses, the Greek sister goddesses of art, music, and literature. The lexicographers who followed him, however, interpreted “bemus’d in beer” as meaning “left confused by beer,” and their confusion gave rise to the “bewilder” sense of bemuse. The newer (and very common) use of bemuse to mean “to cause to have feelings of wry or tolerant amusement” is a topic of some dispute, as discussed here.

Synonyms
absorb
busy
catch up
engage
engross
enthrall
enthral
enwrap
fascinate
grip
immerse
interest
intrigue
involve
occupy
Examples of bemuse in a Sentence
a public that seemed more bemused by the shenanigans of celebrities than by a war being waged half a world away
the stage mishap momentarily bemused the actress
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Kylie — who was also in attendance at the taping, appeared utterly bemused by the life-sized re-creation of her children’s drawing.
—Toria Sheffield, People.com, 18 Jan. 2025
The solemn participation of five presidents, current and former, at the state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter at Washington National Cathedral Thursday might well have bemused, well, Jimmy Carter.
—Susan Page, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
Fans were also asked about having heated seats, eating sushi and drinking prosecco, which bemused many.
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
In many of these works, the father figure becomes a representative of masculinity, or old values, or an adult world that bemuses the young son.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History
First Known Use
1734, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bemuse was in 1734
See more words from the same year