Did you
know?

bewildered
adjective

- confused and indecisive; puzzled

(Oxford Dictionary)

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Take a look at the components of the verb bewilder from the late 1600s, when the word came into use. "Be-", means "thoroughly", + "wilder" = lead off the path or in the wrong direction (and into the wilderness).

It's then easy to see how bewildered describes a state in which you are mentally "lost" and completely puzzled about a situation. A similar word is "disoriented" and it means that you have lost your sense of direction completely, either literally or figuratively.

You can also express the feeling that you've mentally lost your way with the following idioms:

- not know whether you're coming or going = be in a very confused state (I have so much to do, I don't know whether I'm coming or going)

- not know which way to turn = feel troubled but unsure who to ask for help (Without Bob here to give me advice, I don't know which way to turn)

- not know which end is up = feel mixed up (After talking to four experts, I don't know which end is up any more)

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SYNONYMS

astonished, baffled, confused, mixed up, perplexed

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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation

"I was bewildered by her answer to my question."