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
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As one Big Ten position coach said, the way Diaz disguised pressure — especially on third down — flustered offenses. Audrey Snyder, The Athletic, 26 Aug. 2024 Of the cast, Judy Greer stands out as the flustered but patient substitute pageant director and mom who learns to raise her voice in support of the kids the church wants to avoid and leave behind. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024 Ignore your flustered British husband and take an Uber! Emma Specter, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2024 Advertisement Dobbs did all this without looking flustered by the pass rush or inattentive to the proper passing progression. Tim Kawakami, The Athletic, 19 Aug. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near flustered

Cite this Entry

“Flustered.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flustered. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

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