Bewilder — A Vocabulary Story
Nikos and the Dizzy Dance
At his cousin Eleni's wedding, Nikos discovered that Greek dancing was faster than it looked. Much faster.
"Just follow my feet!" called his uncle Stavros, kicking his legs like a startled flamingo.
Nikos stared at the circle of dancers. Left foot, right foot, hop, spin, kick. Or was it hop, kick, spin? The steps seemed designed to bewilder anyone under the age of forty. Even the band's bouzouki player looked slightly dizzy.
Bewilder means to confuse or perplex someone greatly; to cause someone to become puzzled or lost.
Nikos joined the circle and immediately went the wrong way, bumping into his aunt, who was carrying a tower of little honey cakes. The tower wobbled dramatically but survived.
"Sorry!" Nikos gasped, thoroughly bewildered by feet that refused to do what he told them.
Then he noticed his little cousin Dimitra, aged five, dancing perfectly. Perfectly! She twirled past him with a smug little grin.
"How?" Nikos demanded.
"I don't think about it," said Dimitra. "Thinking makes your legs go silly."
Nikos took a deep breath. He stopped counting. He stopped staring at everyone's shoes. He just listened to the music, which bounced along like a happy goat, and let his feet join in.
Left, right, hop, spin, KICK.
He was doing it. He was actually doing it!
Uncle Stavros cheered so loudly that the honey cakes wobbled again. The steps that had bewildered Nikos all evening now felt as easy as skipping. He danced until his legs ached, and even then he danced one more round, just to be sure.
Word Definition
bewilder
meaning
to confuse or perplex someone greatly; to cause someone to become puzzled or lost
synonyms
confuse · perplex · baffle · puzzle · mystify
antonyms
enlighten · clarify · illuminate
example sentence
The complex instructions seemed to bewilder even the most experienced engineers.