flustered

[ fluhs-terd ]

adjective

1. in a state of agitated or nervous confusion:

   In the past, I have prepared to take exams feeling flustered and anxious, but now I am more confident in my abilities.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of fluster ( def ).

Other Words From

• un·flus·tered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of flustered¹

fluster ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

Before they disappeared, Giafaglione said two complained of police enforcement and the other, a woman in her late 70s who kept three dogs for safety, was often flustered when she was forced to move.

From Voice of San Diego

After a flustered search the driver handed a passport to Harmon.

From ProPublica

Although those criticisms have forced her to play defense, Galloway hardly seems flustered.

From Ozy

It's important that though she's flustered she knows his number and stands up to him as his equal.

From The Daily Beast

Mandel looked flustered; he obviously considers himself a talented comic.

From The Daily Beast

Flustered, I typed “iTunes” into the tiny oblong search box to see how many charges there were in total.

From The Daily Beast

On the phone, Walt is flustered—he says “bug up his butt” instead of “stick”—but Skyler buys it.

From The Daily Beast

Miss China and her translator were both visibly flustered, but the best was Bravo exec Andy Cohen.

From The Daily Beast

She followed him into the clean little kitchen, half amused, half flustered.

From Project Gutenberg

Her color was unusually high, and had she been any but a lady of the grande monde I should have said that she was flustered.

From Project Gutenberg

"I'm so very sorry," Anson said, slightly flustered, remembering that this was always the crucial moment in a sale.

From Project Gutenberg

One of the servants and flatterers of Agathocles, whose name was Philo, came out to the stadium still flustered with wine.

From Project Gutenberg

Mr Neeld was sadly flustered by these recurring references to him.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• agitated
• changeable
• changing
• complicated
• confused
• disturbed
• insecure
• perilous
• perturbed
• precarious
• rattled
• restless
• shaky
• shifting
• tense
• ticklish
• troubled
• uncertain
• uneasy
• unnerved