clueless

adjective

clue·​less ˈklü-ləs How to pronounce clueless (audio)
Synonyms of cluelessnext
1
: having or providing no clue
a clueless case for the police to solve
2
: completely or hopelessly bewildered, unaware, ignorant, or foolish
clueless about what they want
cluelessly adverb
I played dumb. I have arrived at a point in my life where I can perform this stunt with aplomb. "What do you mean?" I asked, as cluelessly as I knew how. —Steve Friedman
cluelessness noun
Mowrey is also trying to make a deer hunter of Bentley, whose cluelessness as an outdoors-man is a rich source of amusement to his country-boy crony. —Austin Murphy

Synonyms of clueless

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Examples of clueless in a Sentence

When it comes to computers, I'm clueless. They were clueless about what to do.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The comedy of Gilligan’s Island often centered on the interactions between the scrawny, clueless Gilligan and the rotund, impatient skipper. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026 Now the rot is right there on the surface; the people smiling are less likely to be clueless optimists than the people who are happy about the rot, or profiting from it. — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026 This dumb contest reeks of the clueless, insensitive ways of the past. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 9 July 2026 But there’s much to like here — from the two leads, the numerous Bay Area shots (the Golden Gate Bridge should get a supporting actor credit), Nick Offerman as a pretentious, cruel chef and Lukas Gage as a clueless cretin love interest/coworker. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for clueless

Word History

First Known Use

1743, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clueless was in 1743

Rhymes for clueless

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Browse Nearby Words

clue in
clueless
cluif
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Cite this Entry

“Clueless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clueless. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

clueless

adjective
clue·​less ˈklü-ləs How to pronounce clueless (audio)
: having or providing no clue
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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