To confuse or perplex someone; to make someone feel bewildered or amused in a puzzled way.
From 'be-' plus 'muse' (from Old French 'muser', meaning to wonder or ponder). The prefix intensifies the state of confusion or deep thought.
Unlike most 'be-' words in this list, 'bemuse' is STILL ALIVE in modern English!—it survived because 'bemused' became a fashionable way to describe a state of puzzled amusement, especially among educated speakers.
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