fluster

The verb is probably from Middle English *flostren, *flostre (implied in flostring, flostrynge (“agitation; blustering”))^[1] from a Scandinavian (North Germanic) language; compare Icelandic flaustr (“a bustle; a hurry”), flaustra (“to bustle”).^[2]

The noun is derived from the verb.^[3]

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈflʌstə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈflʌstəɹ/

• Audio (General American):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌstə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: flust‧er

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

1. (transitive)
   1. To throw (someone) into a state of confusion or panic; to befuddle, to confuse.

      Synonyms: agitate, bewilder; see also Thesaurus:confuse

      • 1816, [Walter Scott], chapter V, in The Antiquary. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, page 112:

        The aged housekeeper was no less flustered and hurried in obeying the numerous and contradictory commands of her mistress, […]

      • 1888, J[ames] M[atthew] Barrie, “The Courting of T’Nowhead’s Bell”, in Auld Licht Idylls, London: Hodder and Stoughton, […], →OCLC, page 186:

        Weel, Sam'l, I d'na want to fluster ye, but she's been ower lang wi' Lisbeth Fargus no to hae learnt her ways.

   2. (dated) To make (someone) feel flushed and hot through drinking alcoholic beverages; also, to make (someone) slightly drunk or tipsy.
      • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragœdy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. […] (First Quarto), London: […] N[icholas] O[kes] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1622, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 31:

        Three lads of Cypres, noble ſvvelling ſpirits, / That hold their honour, in a vvary diſtance, / The very Elements of this vvarlike Iſle, / Haue I tonight fluſtred vvith flovving cups, / And the vvatch too: novv mongſt this flocke of drunkards, / I am to put our Caſsio in ſome action, / That may offend the Iſle; […]

      • 1851, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XX, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume IV, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, page 464:

        His practice of flustering himself daily with claret was hardly considered as a fault by his contemporaries.

      • 1853, W[illiam] M[akepeace] Thackeray, “Lecture the Third. Steele.”, in The English Humourists of the Eighteenth Century. […], London: Smith, Elder, & Co. […]; Bombay, Maharashtra: Smith, Taylor, & Co., →OCLC, page 139:

        [S]ome [letters] are composed in a high state of vinous excitement, when his head is flustered with Burgundy, and his heart abounds with amorous warmth for his darling Prue: some are under the influence of the dismal headache and repentance next morning: […]

2. (intransitive)
   1. To be agitated and confused; to bustle.

      He seemed to fluster when speaking in front of many people.

      • 1865, George Meredith, “Rhoda Pledges Her Hand”, in Rhoda Fleming. […], volume II, London: Tinsley Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 195:

        [H]e broke out upon Mrs. Sumfit: "Now, then, mother!" which caused her to fluster guiltily, […]

      • 1893, Rudyard Kipling, “The Disturber of Traffic”, in Many Inventions, London; New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 16:

        A little bit before morning the Dutch gunboat come flustering up, and the two ships stood together watching the lights burn out and out, till there was nothing left 'cept Flores Straits, all green and wet, and a dozen wreck-buoys, and Wurlee Light.

   2. (British, dialectal) To catch attention; to be showy or splendid.
   3. (obsolete) To boast or brag noisily; to bluster, to swagger.
      • 1694 May 9 (Gregorian calendar); first published 1698, Robert South, “Christianity Mysterious, and the Wisdom of God in Making it so, Proved in a Sermon Preached at Westminster-Abbey, April 29. 1694.”, in Twelve Sermons upon Several Subjects and Occasions, volume III, London: […] Tho[mas] Warren for Thomas Bennet […], →OCLC, page 263:

        And the Apoſtle [Paul] ſeems here moſt peculiarly to have directed this Encomium of the Gospel, as a Defiance to the Philoſophers of his Time, the Fluſtring Vain-glorious Greeks, vvho pretended ſo much to magnify, and even Adore the VViſdom they profeſſed, […]

        An adjective use.

   4. (obsolete) Of a seed: to produce a shoot quickly.

fluster (plural flusters)

1. A state of agitation or confusion; a flutter.

   Synonym: flurry

   • a. 1727 (date written), John Vanbrugh, A Journey to London. Being Part of a Comedy Written by the Late Sir John Vanbrugh, Knt. and Printed after His Own Copy: […], London: […] John Watts, […], published 1728, →OCLC, Act II, page 23:

     Good-morrovv, Madam; hovv do you do to-day? you ſeem to be in a little fluſter.

   • 1889, J[ames] M[atthew] Barrie, “On the Track of the Minister”, in A Window in Thrums, London: Hodder and Stoughton, […], →OCLC, page 13:

     I wouldna wonder but ye're richt, Leeby; for Chirsty would be in an oncommon fluster if she thocht the lad's mither was likely to hear 'at her best chair was torn.

2. (obsolete)
   1. A state of slight drunkenness or tipsiness; also, the excitement caused by this state.
      • 1710 November 29 (Gregorian calendar), Isaac Bickerstaff [et al., pseudonyms; Richard Steele et al.], “Saturday, November 18, 1710”, in The Tatler, number 252; republished in [Richard Steele], editor, The Tatler, […], London stereotype edition, volume III, London: I. Walker and Co.;  […], 1822, →OCLC, page 335:

        It is certainly a very agreeable change, when we see a glass raise a lifeless conversation into all the pleasures of wit and good humour. But when Caska adds to his natural impudence the fluster of a bottle, that which fools call fire when he was sober, all men abhor as outrage when he is drunk.

        The spelling has been modernized.

   2. (uncertain) Showiness, splendour.
      • 1676, Andreas Rivetus, Junior [pseudonym; Andrew Marvell], Mr. Smirke. Or, The Divine in Mode. […], [London]: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 4:

        Yet to vvork he fell, not omitting firſt to Sum himſelf up in the vvhole vvardrobe of his Function; […] as to the end that being huff'd up in all his Eccleſiaſtical fluſter, he might appear more formidable, and in the pride of his Heart and Habit, out-boniface an Humble Moderator.

      • 1717, Robert South, “The Third Part or Discourse Concerning Temptation. 2 Peter ii. 9.”, in Twelve Sermons and Discourses on Several Subjects and Occasions. […], volume VI, London: […] Jonah Bowyer, […], →OCLC, page 220:

        Let no preſent fluſter of Fortune, or flovv of Riches, either tranſport the Man himſelf vvith Confidence, or the Fools about him vvith Admiration, till vve ſee that it makes him better and vviſer than he vvas before, […]

• Joseph Wright, editor (1900), “FLUSTER, sb. and v.”, in The English Dialect Dictionary: […], volume II (D–G), London: Henry Frowde, […], publisher to the English Dialect Society, […]; New York, N.Y.: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam’s Sons, →OCLC, pages 429–430.

• RESTful, fluters, furtles, restful