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

Ginger shares some of Lee’s strangeness and impulsivity and is undeniably attracted to him for it, but she’s anchored in reality where Lee is not, constantly calling him out on all of his worst ideas and most clueless decisions. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

Yet many Floridians are clueless about how to cast an informed vote. — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026

Throughout the movie, her approach is often rapacious, or, at best, clueless. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Just a Fever player slammed to the ground, a couple Aces free throws, and a couple zebras looking as clueless as ever. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 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