be clueless about

/biː ˈkluːləs əˈbaʊt/
phraseIntermediate
informal

to have no knowledge or understanding of something

He’s clueless about how to fix the car.

He doesn’t know how to fix the car at all.

Don’t ask her about politics; she’s clueless.

She has no knowledge or understanding of politics.

💡

This phrase is often used to describe someone who lacks basic knowledge or awareness about a particular topic.

Collocations

be clueless aboutto be unaware or ignorant of something

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

be in the darkphrase
to be unaware of something
be out of the loopphrase
to not be informed about recent developments

💡Pro Tip

Usage in Context

Use 'be clueless about' when describing someone who lacks basic knowledge or understanding about a topic. It is informal and often used in casual conversation.

Gold Rule

Avoid Formal Contexts

This phrase is informal and should not be used in formal or professional settings.

📖Word Origin

The word 'clueless' originated in the 1960s as slang, combining 'clue' (meaning a piece of information) with the suffix '-less' (meaning without). The phrase 'be clueless about' became popular in the 1980s and 1990s.

📝Usage Notes

This phrase is informal and often used in casual conversation to describe someone who lacks knowledge or understanding about a particular subject. It can be used in both positive and negative contexts, depending on the tone.

Word Breakdown

clueless
lacking knowledge or understanding
root
+
about
concerning or related to
preposition
English Dictionary