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 of clueless

• 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

Redzepi isn’t completely clueless. —Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026

How could a man capable of writing poetry with such emotional depth be so clueless about how to grieve their dead son? —Jeanette Tran, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2026

The veteran was exceptional, even heartbreaking, as a clueless dad and aging filmmaker seeking to hire his estranged daughter for the role of his, and maybe hers, lifetime. —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026

Atkinson plays the titular role, a clueless man who lives alone, rarely speaks, and struggles to exist as a functional adult in the world. —Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026

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