fluster

/ˈflʌstər/

Other forms: flustered; flustering; flusters

To fluster someone is to make them feel upset or agitated. There are many things that might fluster you: giving a speech in front of the whole school, solving a challenging math problem, or even getting a love note from an admirer.

If your coworker is about to give the biggest presentation of his life, you’ll probably only fluster, or upset, him if you point out that his socks don’t match. Use the adjective form, flustered, to describe someone when they’re feeling this way. Most of us get flustered once in a while, but if you’re “easily flustered,” it happens to you quite often. Don’t worry, though; that just gives you more opportunities to practice using this vocabulary word.

Definitions of fluster

1. verb

   cause to be nervous or upset
   types:

   ruffle

   discompose

   type of:

   confuse, disconcert, flurry, put off

   cause to feel embarrassment
2. verb

   be flustered; behave in a confused manner
   type of:

   acquit, bear, behave, carry, comport, conduct, deport

   behave in a certain manner
3. noun

   a disposition that is confused or nervous and upset
   synonyms: perturbation

   type of:

   discomposure

   a temperament that is perturbed and lacking in composure