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Synonyms

clueless

American  
[kloo-lis] / ˈklu lɪs /

adjective

Informal.

  1. ignorant, unaware, or uninformed.

    I remember thinking my mom was clueless when I was a teenager.
clueless British  
/ ˈkluːlɪs /

adjective

  1. slang  helpless; stupid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of clueless

First recorded in 1940–45; clue + -less

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

To narrow down what seemed like countless possibilities when we were deciding, here are the steps we went through to go from clueless to confident.

From MarketWatch

England's attack was aimless, bordering on clueless, on occasions.

From BBC

Her face is never clearly shown, to emphasize that Dorothy is merely a useful but clueless pawn in the political machinations of Oz.

From Barron's

Cheryl said the band were so clueless that they'd phone the head of their record label to tell him their washing machine had broken down.

From BBC

Chef Mo points out to the clueless company heir.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.