flustered

adjective

flus·​tered ˈflə-stərd 

: 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

Hurley shared his photo on her Instagram Stories, pairing it with the most mom reaction possible: a flustered emoji. —Michael Nied, People.com, 8 July 2025

In America, my mother had obtained a license but didn’t drive, having once hesitated too long at a changing traffic light and gotten flustered. —Jhumpa Lahiri, New Yorker, 30 June 2025

Comments How to make a lasting first impression with Kate Hudson: show up flustered and sweaty. —Jessica Wang, EW.com, 12 June 2025

Locals are simply flustered with tourists swamping Venice. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 12 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

see fluster entry 1

First Known Use

1743, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for flustered

• blustered
• bustard
• clustered
• custard
• mustard
• mustered