Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
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.

Banks are used to working with the surviving relatives, including those who are clueless or casually dressed.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

“I understand you don’t want to be rescuing the many clueless who wander up there. There needs to be a better system.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026

Head coach Stephane Auvray, 44, admits some were "a little clueless and naive" about the demands.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

Physicians say they are often clueless about their own patients’ full list of treatments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

“Maybe, but your parents can be pretty clueless every once in a while.”

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

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.