Literary notes about flustered (AI summary)
Writers often use "flustered" to convey a character’s sudden loss of composure or nervous agitation in the face of unexpected pressures. The term can indicate a brief deviation from an otherwise steady demeanor—as when a typically calm character shows signs of internal disturbance ([1])—or be used in dialogue to underscore speech marked by anxiety, as in a hasty exclamation ([2]). Additionally, descriptions of characters visibly disturbed or confused, whether through physical cues like wringing hands or a flushed appearance ([3], [4]), help to create a vivid sense of urgency and vulnerability. In this way, "flustered" functions as a subtle yet powerful tool in literature to capture moments of internal conflict and external chaos ([5], [6], [7]).
- Leigh was a cool hand and never flustered, except on special occasions, when he knew he had been put upon, or someone tried to bounce him.
— from The Sweep Winner by Nat Gould - “Then all I can say is,” he flustered out, “you've made a pretty mess of it!”
— from The Forsyte Saga, Volume I. by John Galsworthy - Flustered at the sudden question the housekeeper wrung her hands and burst into tears.
— from The Mystery Girl by Carolyn Wells - I was took by surprise, an' knowed nothin' on it beforehand, an' I was so flustered, I was clean as if I'd lost my tools.
— from Adam Bede by George Eliot - Whom?” cried Lebeziatnikov, flustered and blushing.
— from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Tom stood still, rather flustered by this onslaught.
— from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete by Mark Twain - The coolest man on the ranch was flustered by the mere thought of attending a wedding-ceremony.
— from The Round-Up: A Romance of Arizona; Novelized from Edmund Day's Melodrama by Marion Mills Miller
