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Synonyms

clueless

American  
[kloo-lis] / ˈklu lɪs /

adjective

Informal.

  1. ignorant, unaware, or uninformed.

    I remember thinking my mom was clueless when I was a teenager.
clueless British  
/ ˈkluːlɪs /

adjective

  1. slang helpless; stupid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of clueless

First recorded in 1940–45; clue + -less

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Banks are used to working with the surviving relatives, including those who are clueless or casually dressed.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

She said she scanned the table for recording devices, but concluded they were clueless investors as they fumbled through basic questions about Slovenian politics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Head coach Stephane Auvray, 44, admits some were "a little clueless and naive" about the demands.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

The City Council purported to be just as clueless as residents and the plan was eventually halted, with the county taking responsibility for its lack of communication with neighbors.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2026

Her parents had been so sure of themselves, and yet in a way so clueless.

From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.