"confused as to direction or situation; having been led into perplexity or confusion," 1680s, past-participle adjective from bewilder (q.v.). Related: Bewilderedness.
Entries linking to bewildered
bewilder v.
1680s, "confuse as to direction or situation," also, figuratively, "perplex, puzzle, confuse," from be- "thoroughly" + archaic wilder "lead astray, lure into the wilds," which probably is a back-formation from wilderness. An earlier word with the same sense was bewhape (early 14c.) and there is a 17c. use of bewhatle.