bemused
1
6.7
- adjective
- /bɪˈmjuːzd/
- He was a perfect miniature of a man, Heikki thought, bemused.
- bemused smile
Examples
-
Then after a moment... a very long moment... a calm, bemused Tweed raises his glass.
Fiction book (2002) -
My, but you are a dull lot, aren't you?" the bemused voice commented.
Fiction book (1997) -
Resting on his pitchfork, he looked at me intently, bemused yet kindly, pausing to expectorate and wipe his mouth with his flannel sleeve from time to time as we talked.
Fiction book (1991) -
After listening to the complicated explanation, she sat there, bemused, trying to understand what he meant.
-
He glanced around the unfamiliar room with a bemused expression, lost in thought about how he got there.
-
The teacher looked bemused as her students failed to grasp the basic concept she had just explained.
Synonyms
170
2.1
Very interested and unable to stop paying attention
87
4.5
Thinking so much about something that you do not notice what is happening around you
29
5.0
Absorbed in thought and not aware of your surroundings
26
6.0
Unable to look away because something is very interesting
23
3.6
Giving all your attention to something and not noticing other things
19
3.9
Very interested and pleased so you cannot stop watching or listening
16
6.9
Very interested and full of wonder, unable to look away
16
6.7
Unable to look away and to move because you feel very surprised or amazed
14
4.5
Paying all your attention to something because you are very interested
10
5.8
Amazed and very happy so you cannot look away
9
5.3
Your attention is fixed as if under a spell
7
4.2
Thinking so much that you do not notice what is around you
3
7.1
Thinking deeply about something else and not noticing what is around you
Antonyms
How Absorbed
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Bemused comes from the parts be- and muse, with muse meaning 'to think'. So bemused can mean 'made thoughtful' or 'lost in thought', which explains the sense of being deeply absorbed in one's own ideas.