flustered

adjective

flus·​tered ˈflə-stərd 

: in a state of agitated confusion

She became so flustered that she'd … kept repeating, "Gosh, I can't even think …" Later she confided, "I was almost in tears right after doing those numbers."

—Stephen S. Hall

The flustered lady gave me a blank stare and said, "That's not Mr. Franklin. The guard said Mr. Franklin was on his way up."

—Dick Francis

… the oxen … seemed more patient and less flustered than their masters …

—Deborah Straw

flusteredly adverb

"Everything's under control, I think!" she says a little flusteredly. "We had a problem with the table posies, but fingers crossed, they should be on their way … ."

—Sophie Kinsella

Examples of flustered in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On the morning of March 15th, the women were shackled and taken from their cells by ICE officers, who seemed rushed and slightly flustered. —Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025

With the run game nonexistent, the Commanders teed off on the Giants’ offensive line, and Wilson was flustered throughout. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2025

One of my clients in nonprofit leadership was known for arriving five minutes late to every meeting—flustered, urgent and half-distracted. —Tinna Jackson, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

From the backfield that day, Burns watched and cheered as Carter flustered quarterback Russell Wilson. —Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see fluster entry 1

First Known Use

1743, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for flustered

• blustered
• bustard
• clustered
• custard
• mustard
• mustered