Flustered

Flustered

Adjective · /ˈflʌstəd/ · agitated, confused, and unsure what to do

Definition

Flustered means in a state of agitated confusion — nervous, flustered, and unable to think clearly because of pressure, surprise, or too much happening at once. It describes the mental and emotional state of someone who has lost their composure and is struggling to regain it. You can be flustered by a difficult question, an unexpected situation, a crowd, or simply being in a hurry with too many things to do at once.

Origin

From the early seventeenth century, probably from a Scandinavian root — related to Icelandic flaustr, meaning bustle or hurry, and flaustra, to bustle or fluster. The word entered English with the sense of both agitation and the physical hurry that causes it. Over time the physical element faded and flustered became primarily a word for the mental state of confused nervousness.