Fluster
/ˈflʌstər/
verbnounB2
Definition
Fluster means to make a person feel worried, confused, or nervous, often because of pressure or unexpected problems. When someone is flustered, they may find it hard to think clearly or act calmly. As a noun, a fluster is the feeling or situation when someone is upset or confused.
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See It in Action
Verb: To make someone feel nervous or confused
- •The surprise question flustered her during the interview.
- •Don’t fluster the speaker by asking too many questions.
- •He was flustered when he realized he forgot his notes.
Noun: The state of being nervous or confused
- •She was in a fluster before the exam started.
- •His fluster made him drop the papers.
- •In the fluster of the moment, they forgot the main point.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "fluster" like "nervous" but stronger and mixed with confusion—when your mind feels rushed and messy
- ✓Picture a person trying to answer questions quickly but stumbling because their thoughts are all mixed up
- ✓It's the feeling you get when you forget something important right before a test or presentation
- ✓Sounds like "FLUSS-ter" → imagine someone blowing air fast and messy, like a small wind making papers fly everywhere inside your head
- ✓Think of a character in a movie who suddenly has to speak in front of a crowd and starts to stammer and sweat—that’s being flustered
- ✓NOT like "calm" (peaceful and relaxed), "fluster" is the opposite, full of nervous energy and confusion
- ✓NOT like "panic" (extreme fear), fluster is milder but still makes you lose control a bit
- ✓NOT like "confused" alone—fluster includes nervousness and quick, sometimes clumsy actions
Try Other Words
- •Nervous: feeling worried or anxious (Use when focusing on worry without confusion)
- •Confuse: to make unclear or mixed up (Use when the main problem is lack of understanding)
- •Rattle: to disturb someone's calm and make them nervous (Use when sudden events shake someone's confidence)
- •Agitate: to make someone upset or nervous (Use in more formal or emotional contexts)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: Root "fluster" with no prefix or suffix
- •Etymology: From Middle English "flustren," meaning to confuse or put into disorder
- •Historical development: Used since the 1500s to describe a state of confusion or nervous disturbance
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe mild nervousness or confusion, often in social or work situations
- •Key insight: Fluster is about a mix of nervousness and confusion, often temporary and caused by surprise or pressure
Reflect & Connect
•When have you felt flustered in your life, and how did you calm down?
•How is being flustered different from being afraid or angry?
Fill in the blanks
1.The unexpected question during the meeting made her fluster because she wasn’t ___ prepared.
2.When he started to fluster, his voice became ___ and he forgot what to say next.
3.Unlike calm, fluster usually happens when someone feels ___ or under pressure.
4.She was in a fluster after ___ the wrong date for the appointment.
5.To avoid fluster, it helps to ___ deeply and think slowly.
6.The teacher told the students not to fluster each other during the test, meaning they should not ___ their classmates.
7.In the fluster of the moment, he accidentally ___ his coffee on the desk.