bemuse

bemuse
bemuse (v.) "to make utterly confused," from BE- (Cf. be-) + muse (Cf. AMUSE (Cf. amuse)); attested from 1735 but probably older, as Pope (1705) punned on it as "devoted utterly to the Muses."

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Bemuse — Be*muse , v. t. To muddle, daze, or partially stupefy, as with liquor. [1913 Webster] A parson much bemused in beer. Pope. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • bemuse — index perplex Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • bemuse — *daze, stun, stupefy, benumb, paralyze, petrify Analogous words: *confuse, muddle, addle, fuddle, befuddle Contrasted words: *illuminate, enlighten: arouse, rouse, *stir, awaken: excite, stimulate, *provoke …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • bemuse — [v] confuse addle, amaze, bewilder, daydream, daze, gather wool*, moon, muddle, overwhelm, paralyze, perplex, pipe dream*, puzzle, stun, stupefy; concepts 7,19,22 Ant. clear up, enlighten, explain, illuminate, tell …   New thesaurus

  • bemuse — ► VERB ▪ confuse or bewilder. DERIVATIVES bemused adjective bemusement noun …   English terms dictionary

  • bemuse — [bē myo͞oz′, bimyo͞oz′] vt. bemused, bemusing [ BE + MUSE] 1. to muddle or stupefy 2. to plunge in thought; preoccupy: usually in the passive voice bemusement n …   English World dictionary

  • bemuse — [[t]bɪmju͟ːz[/t]] bemuses, bemusing, bemused VERB If something bemuses you, it puzzles or confuses you. [V n] The sheer quantity of detail would be enough to bemuse any but the most clear headed author. Syn: bewilder …   English dictionary

  • bemuse'ment — noun • • • Main Entry: ↑bemuse …   Useful english dictionary

  • bemuse — transitive verb Date: 1735 1. to make confused ; puzzle, bewilder 2. to occupy the attention of ; distract, absorb 3. to cause to have feelings of wry or tolerant amusement < seems truly bemuse …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • bemuse — bemusement, n. /bi myoohz /, v.t., bemused, bemusing. to bewilder or confuse (someone). [1695 1705; BE + MUSE] * * * …   Universalium

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