fluster

fluster

See also: flüster

English

Etymology

From a Scandinavian (North Germanic) language, akin to Icelandic flaustra (“to be flustered”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈflʌstə/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌstə(r)

Verb

fluster (third-person singular simple present flusters, present participle flustering, simple past and past participle flustered)

1. (dated) To make hot and rosy, as with drinking.
   • Macaulay

     His habit of flustering himself daily with claret.

2. (by extension) To confuse; befuddle; throw into panic by making overwrought with confusion.

   He seemed to get flustered when speaking in front of too many people.

3. (intransitive) To be in a heat or bustle; to be agitated and confused.
   • South

     the flustering, vainglorious Greeks

Derived terms

• flustered (adjective)
• flustering (adjective, present participle)

Translations

To confuse, befuddle, throw into panic by making overwrought with confusion

Bulgarian: обърквам (bg) (obǎrkvam), шашардисвам (bg) (šašardisvam) Finnish: hermostuttaa (fi), hämmentää (fi) French: confondre (fr), embrouiller (fr), paumer (fr) German: verwirren (de), überrumpeln (de)

Greek: συγχύζω (el) (synchýzo), ταράζω (el) (tarázo) Ido: konfuzeskar (io) Maori: whakapōnānā, pōnānā Russian: волнова́ть (ru) (volnovátʹ)

Noun

fluster (plural flusters)

1. A state of being flustered; overwrought confusion.

Anagrams

• RESTful, fluters, furtles, restful