flustered

adjective

flus·​tered ˈflə-stərd How to pronounce flustered (audio)
: in a state of agitated confusion
She became so flustered that she'd … kept repeating, "Gosh, I can't even think …" Later she confided, "I was almost in tears right after doing those numbers."Stephen S. Hall
The flustered lady gave me a blank stare and said, "That's not Mr. Franklin. The guard said Mr. Franklin was on his way up."Dick Francis
… the oxen … seemed more patient and less flustered than their masters …Deborah Straw
flusteredly adverb
"Everything's under control, I think!" she says a little flusteredly. "We had a problem with the table posies, but fingers crossed, they should be on their way … ." Sophie Kinsella

Examples of flustered in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One of my clients in nonprofit leadership was known for arriving five minutes late to every meeting—flustered, urgent and half-distracted. Tinna Jackson, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025 One is that the leader may have been caught by surprise and is flustered, out of their Window of Tolerance. Dr. Joel Rothaizer, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025 From the backfield that day, Burns watched and cheered as Carter flustered quarterback Russell Wilson. Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025 The panel also premiered an extended trial room sequence with John Cena as an ACME lawyer and Forte as Wile’s flustered attorney and teased an appearance from Bugs Bunny himself in the film. Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 26 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for flustered

Word History

Etymology

see fluster entry 1

First Known Use

1743, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flustered was in 1743

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Cite this Entry

“Flustered.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flustered. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.

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