Bemused describes the look or feeling of someone who cannot quite work out what is happening. It is an adjective, and it does two jobs.

Bemused(這個字) describes the look or feeling of someone用來形容一個人的表情或感覺 who cannot quite work out what is happening搞不清楚發生了什麼事。It is an adjective它是一個形容詞，and it does two jobs而且做兩種工作。

It describes a person — "she looked bemused" — and it describes the things a face does: a bemused smile, a bemused expression, a bemused silence. Those noun pairings are where you will meet it most; the word lives on faces.

It describes a person它可以形容一個人——"she looked bemused"「she looked bemused」她一臉困惑的樣子——and it describes the things a face does也可以形容一張臉會做的表情：a bemused smile, a bemused expression, a bemused silence像a bemused smile一個困惑的微笑、a bemused expression一臉困惑的表情、a bemused silence困惑的沉默。Those noun pairings are where you will meet it most這些名詞搭配是你最常遇到它的地方；the word lives on faces這個字活在臉上。

The feeling it names is gentle. A bemused person is not frightened or angry; they are mildly puzzled, often with a half-smile, the way you look when someone tells a joke you don't get but you can see they meant well.

The feeling it names is gentle它指的那種感覺是溫和的。A bemused person is not frightened or angry一個bemused的人不是害怕也不是生氣；they are mildly puzzled他們只是有點困惑，often with a half-smile常常帶著淡淡的微笑，the way you look when someone tells a joke you don't get but you can see they meant well就像有人說了一個你聽不懂、但看得出他是好意的笑話時你的表情。

This is a more common word than the verb bemuse — most learners will meet bemused first and may never meet bemuse at all.

This is a more common word than the verb bemuse這個字比動詞bemuse常見——most learners will meet bemused first大多數學習者會先遇到bemused，and may never meet bemuse at all甚至可能一輩子都不會遇到bemuse。

One honest note: because it sounds so close to amused, some speakers now use bemused to mean "quietly entertained." Careful writers dislike this, and dictionaries still give confusion as the meaning. Write it as confusion; just don't be surprised when you hear someone use it the other way.

One honest note老實說一句：because it sounds so close to amused因為它聽起來跟amused很像，some speakers now use bemused to mean "quietly entertained."有些人現在會用bemused來表示「默默覺得好笑」。Careful writers dislike this講究的作者不喜歡這種用法，and dictionaries still give confusion as the meaning而字典給的意思仍然是困惑。Write it as confusion寫的時候就當它是困惑；just don't be surprised when you hear someone use it the other way但聽到有人反過來用也不用太驚訝。