What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
bewilderment
Example
She looked at the complicated math problem with bewilderment. [bewilderment: noun]
Example
The tourists wandered around the city in a state of bewilderment, unable to find their way back to their hotel. [bewilderment: noun]
perplexity
Example
The instructions for assembling the furniture left him in a state of perplexity. [perplexity: noun]
Example
She looked at the foreign language text with perplexity, unable to decipher its meaning. [perplexity: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Bewilderment is more commonly used in everyday language than perplexity, which is more formal and less common.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between bewilderment and perplexity?
Perplexity is more formal than bewilderment, making it more appropriate for academic or professional writing.
