bemuse
Leave mentally foggy
Bemuse means to confuse or bewilder, often leaving someone lost in thought or mildly puzzled: The instructions bemused him completely.
The word is sometimes confused with amuse, but bemused carries no sense of entertainment—it suggests bewilderment rather than enjoyment.
A bemused expression is one of puzzled distraction: She gave him a bemused look.
Cause utter confusion
- baffleConfuse or perplex
- confoundTo thoroughly puzzle
- mystifyConfuse beyond understanding
- nonplusConfound beyond response
puzzle · flummox · befuddle · disconcert · stump · dumbfound · confuse · disorient
Absorb one's attention completely
- engrossAbsorb one's attention wholly
- distractDivert someone's attention
- occupyFill or dwell in
- daydreamConscious fantasy while awake
reverie · abstracted · absent-minded · lost in thought · faraway · detached · wool-gathering · spaced-out
perplex
Cause utter confusion
nonplus · puzzle · flummox · befuddle · disconcert · stump · dumbfound · confuse · disorient · addle
preoccupy
Absorb one's attention completely
daydream · reverie · abstracted · absent-minded · lost in thought · faraway · detached · wool-gathering · spaced-out · inattentive
entertain
Amuse or host
whimsical · quirky · tickle · charm · ironic · sardonic · dry humor · wryly · smirk · half-smile