fluster

1 of 2

verb

flus·​ter ˈflə-stər 

flustered; flustering ˈflə-st(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to put into a state of agitated confusion : upset

The speaker was obviously flustered by the interruption.

"Now don't overexcite yourself, Grandpa," Mrs. Bucket said. "And don't fluster poor Charlie. We must all try to keep very calm."

—Roald Dahl

2

: to make tipsy

There is much that is, in truth, dishonest even in honest play. A man who can keep himself sober after dinner plays [cards] with one who flusters himself with drink.

—Anthony Trollope

fluster

2 of 2

noun

: a state of agitated confusion

They had been talking about it for days, and when they were getting ready to go out they were all in a fluster.

—Louise Fitzhugh

Synonyms

Verb

• abash
• confound
• confuse
• discomfit
• disconcert
• discountenance
• embarrass
• faze
• mortify
• nonplus
• rattle

Noun

• dither
• fret
• fuss
• huff
• lather
• pother
• stew
• sweat
• swelter
• swivet
• tizzy
• twitter

Choose the Right Synonym for fluster

discompose, disquiet, disturb, perturb, agitate, upset, fluster mean to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action.

discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress.

discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind.

the disquieting news of factories closing

disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption.

the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions.

perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement.

in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief.

the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

fluster suggests bewildered agitation.

his declaration of love completely flustered her

Examples of fluster in a Sentence

Verb

The interruption flustered the speaker.

Some speakers fluster more easily than others.

Noun

all the yelling on the bus put the driver in a fluster

there was a palpable fluster in the audience when I asked my awkward question

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

For that reason, presidents and secretaries of state have often been annoyed or flustered by it. —Gary J. Bass, Foreign Affairs, 3 Feb. 2017

This is the same Minnesota defense that flustered a roster that had Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal on the same team. —Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 May 2024

Noun

The 6-1, 220-pounder repeatedly flusters defenses by escaping out of would-be sacks and delivering seemingly impossible throws. —Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 30 Apr. 2023

Robinson could well be the missing Lombardi piece here, not to mention a lethal complement to newly minted QB Jalen Hurts – a combo that could truly fluster defenses. —Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Icelandic flaustur hurry

First Known Use

Verb

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1712, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

fluster

verb

flus·​ter

ˈfləs-tər

flustered; flustering

-t(ə-)riŋ

: to make nervous and unsure : upset

flustered by their rudeness

fluster noun