Bemazed

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Utterly bewildered or thrown into a state of stunned confusion by something unexpected
2. Left completely confounded and struck dumb with wonder or perplexity
3. Overcome with astonishment so deep that one is unable to think clearly

Etymology: "Bemazed" is formed from the prefix "be-" and the adjective "mazed," meaning bewildered or stupefied. The prefix "be-" comes from Old English and once carried the sense of thoroughly or around, as in "besmear" or "bedew," and here it intensifies the meaning of "mazed." "Mazed" itself belongs to the family of "maze" and "amaze." Its roots lie in Old English "amasian," meaning to stupefy or confuse, which in turn connects to the idea of wandering or being lost in a maze. A person who is bemazed is thoroughly thrown into confusion, so the word sits close to "amazed" in sense, though it is built on a different base.

Synonyms: bewildered, bemused, confused, dazed, perplexed

Antonyms: composed, unperturbed