fluster
Americanverb (used with object)
-
flusters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flustered,
past participle, past
-
flustering
present participle
-
to put into a state of agitated confusion.
His constant criticism flustered me.
- Synonyms:
- disturb, disconcert, bewilder, upset
-
to excite and confuse with drink.
verb (used without object)
-
flusters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flustered,
past participle, past
-
flustering
present participle
noun
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
flustersimple
-
flusterssimple
-
have flusteredperfect
-
has flusteredperfect
-
am flusteringprogressive
-
are flusteringprogressive
-
is flusteringprogressive
-
have been flusteringperfect progressive
-
has been flusteringperfect progressive
Past
-
flusteredsimple
-
had flusteredperfect
-
was flusteringprogressive
-
were flusteringprogressive
-
had been flusteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of fluster
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English flostren; cf. bluster, Old Norse flaustra “to hurry”
Explanation
To fluster someone is to make them feel upset or agitated. There are many things that might fluster you: giving a speech in front of the whole school, solving a challenging math problem, or even getting a love note from an admirer. If your coworker is about to give the biggest presentation of his life, you’ll probably only fluster, or upset, him if you point out that his socks don’t match. Use the adjective form, flustered, to describe someone when they’re feeling this way. Most of us get flustered once in a while, but if you’re “easily flustered,” it happens to you quite often. Don’t worry, though; that just gives you more opportunities to practice using this vocabulary word.
Vocabulary lists containing fluster
The Hobbit
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "F"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
The defending champion is part of a seven-way tie for the first-round lead after plotting a three-under round of 67 which encapsulated his ability to play with relentless diligence and barely a flicker of fluster.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
Never over those previous eight games did the Lakers fluster Nikola Jokic like they did Saturday, forcing the three-time MVP into firing passes off of cutters’ knees or into the front row.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2025
Every time, he managed to fluster me anyway.
From Slate ● May 27, 2023
Throughout the attempts, I was also struck that nothing seemed to fluster the AI.
From Scientific American ● May 25, 2023
The fluster that I felt back in the station has developed into irritation here on the train, now that I can’t so easily walk away.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
"Nothing ever flusters Finn," says Scotland team-mate Kyle Steyn.
From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2026
Not even her obliteration of such sacred territory as replacing Paul's traditional family tree with a bigger one flusters him, even though he didn't ask.
From Salon ● Nov. 27, 2022
If Geno Smith can continue his hot start and the defense flusters Trey Lance like the Bears did last week, it’s a game they could win.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 16, 2022
She teaches English, flusters the principal and flirts with a colleague.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2020
When I erupt , my sonic boom flusters and splinters quiet .
From NATURAE by Dom
On Move 78, he wedged a white stone in the middle of AlphaGo’s position and flustered the machine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
“Let me put on some clothes first,” she told the nurse, flustered.
From Salon ● May 27, 2026
Colbert was flustered, to say the least, during the interview afterward.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
And Wall Street has pointedly refused to be flustered by the conflict in recent weeks, particularly after excitement over robust corporate earnings.
From Barron's ● May 11, 2026
There was something about this indomitable old lady which made him feel flustered and uncomfortable.
From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie
Maybe knowing so many people is behind his sweating, flustering, and giggling.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2025
Even now I couldn’t tell what Harry wanted from me, or whether flustering me was just part of his fun.
From Slate ● May 27, 2023
He was pressured repeatedly as the Cardinals stole a page from previous Carolina opponents, flustering the former Heisman Trophy winner with a series of blitzes.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 2, 2022
But the Cavaliers permitted just four points the rest of the way, flustering Providence into 1-for-18 shooting down the stretch.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 23, 2021
It evidently declined, without any symptom which could lead us to suspect his disease, unless indeed his brightened eyes, animated look, and flustering cheeks, made us dread consumption; but he was without pain or fear.
From The Last Man by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
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.
