The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day is bemuse. Read on for what it means, how it’s used, and more.

What It Means

Bemuse means “to bewilder” or “to confuse.”

// The contestant seemed somewhat bemused by the question; however, she gave the correct answer.

// The actor was bemused by all the attention she was receiving for her role in the movie.

BEMUSE in Context

“It bemuses me to see teams trying to play defensively in the 21st century. Howe must take the shackles off his players and allow them to get forward and create chances.” — John Wozniak, The Top Flight, 10 Nov. 2021

Did You Know?

Bemuse joins the prefix be-, meaning “to a great or greater degree,” with muse, “to become absorbed in thought” and especially “to think about something carefully and thoroughly.”