clueless

adjective

clue·​less ˈklü-ləs 

1

: having or providing no clue

a clueless case for the police to solve

2

: completely or hopelessly bewildered, unaware, ignorant, or foolish

clueless about what they want

cluelessly adverb

I played dumb. I have arrived at a point in my life where I can perform this stunt with aplomb. "What do you mean?" I asked, as cluelessly as I knew how.

—Steve Friedman

cluelessness noun

Mowrey is also trying to make a deer hunter of Bentley, whose cluelessness as an outdoors-man is a rich source of amusement to his country-boy crony.

—Austin Murphy

Synonyms

• ignorant
• incognizant
• innocent
• insensible
• nescient
• oblivious
• unacquainted
• unaware
• unconscious
• uninformed
• unknowing
• unmindful
• unwitting

Examples of clueless in a Sentence

When it comes to computers, I'm clueless.

They were clueless about what to do.

Recent Examples on the Web

Further, the mayor is clueless about attacking juvenile, quality of life, and violent crimes, with over 11,000 automobiles stolen in the city in 2023, hundreds of violent carjackings, and even more armed robberies. —Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 10 Apr. 2024

Each episode introduces a new game, with the twist that the three comedian contestants are clueless about the rules until the game begins. —Clayton Davis, Variety, 14 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1743, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

clueless

adjective

clue·​less ˈklü-ləs 

: having or providing no clue