clueless

adjective

clue·​less ˈklü-ləs 

1

: having or providing no clue

a clueless case for the police to solve

2

: completely or hopelessly bewildered, unaware, ignorant, or foolish

clueless about what they want

cluelessly adverb

I played dumb. I have arrived at a point in my life where I can perform this stunt with aplomb. "What do you mean?" I asked, as cluelessly as I knew how.

—Steve Friedman

cluelessness noun

Mowrey is also trying to make a deer hunter of Bentley, whose cluelessness as an outdoors-man is a rich source of amusement to his country-boy crony.

—Austin Murphy

Synonyms

• ignorant
• unaware
• oblivious

Examples of clueless in a Sentence

When it comes to computers, I'm clueless.

They were clueless about what to do.

Recent Examples on the Web

Often, part of the bit was being rather clueless of her guests’ feats. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 31 July 2025

During his first term, despite having recently appointed Powell, Trump repeatedly criticized him, calling him clueless and claiming that the Fed posed a bigger threat to the U.S. economy than China did. —John Cassidy, New Yorker, 28 July 2025

Obstacles include Lockwood’s shrill, untalented co-star Luna Lamont and clueless movie execs who are unprepared for a creative and technological revolution of movies with soundtracks. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 13 July 2025

Takes that are hurting my brain are already raging across the internet (including some by Fox News, who are apparently clueless about Superman’s origins). —Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 12 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1743, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for clueless

• shoeless
• viewless

Kids Definition

clueless

adjective

clue·​less ˈklü-ləs 

: having or providing no clue