1. A condition of being confused, frustrated, and puzzled: The airline passengers felt great bewilderment when the pilot landed in the wrong city; however, the flight attendant explained that it had to be done in order to avoid the tornado at the scheduled airport.
2. Etymology: first recorded in the 1680's, bewilderment is a combination of be, "thoroughly" + wilder, "to lead astray" or "to lure into the wilderness" + ment, "state, condition", or "quality".