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Glite Dictionary
at sea

at sea

9 6.8
Confused and not sure what to do
  • idiom
translation icon : desorientado
  • We are 18 days at sea.
  • lost at sea

And without it, you are lost at sea.

Examples

  • You know, people survive for months at sea.

    The Requin (2022)

  • I'd be lost at sea.

    Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

  • But a technique that worked well on land was hopeless at sea.

    Academic text (2002)

  • But I just think it's different when you're at sea, you know?

  • I can't believe we're at sea.

    Fool's Gold (2008)

  • When you're in the middle, it's like being at sea and not knowing where you're going.

    Blog text (33)

  • We sit silently in the galley waiting for the sun to rise on another day at sea.

    Academic text (1998)

  • The truth was, where her great-nieces and nephews were concerned, she always felt a little at sea.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • When I started this project, I was feeling a bit adrift, lost at sea, so to speak, without motivation or impetus to do the work I'm supposed to.

  • Many students feel at sea when they begin a complicated new subject.

Synonyms

confused
vsat sea
692 1.3

Not able to think clearly or understand what is happening

is uncertainty about what to do rather than only unclear thinking
mixed-up
vsat sea
  • Informal
82 4.9

Confused and unsure because different ideas or instructions do not agree

is general confusion without emphasising conflicting information
lost
vsat sea
6 1.0

Confused and unsure what to do or where to go

is the general state of confusion about actions rather than location
bemused
vsat sea
3 6.7

Unable to understand what is happening

is active uncertainty about what to do, not quiet puzzlement
bewildered
vsat sea
1 5.3

Feeling confused and not knowing what is happening or what to do

expresses being unsure what to do, not only surprised by events
lost and at sea
vsat sea
  • Informal
7.8

Not sure what to do or where to go

has the same meaning but is shorter and more common
confounded
vsat sea
6.8

Feeling very confused and not able to understand something unexpected

is simpler uncertainty about action rather than complexity of causes
baffled
vsat sea
3.9

Feeling confused when you cannot understand something

is broader insecurity about choices, not only hard to explain problems
mazed
vsat sea
9.6

Confused and unable to think clearly

is plain uncertainty about action rather than overload of contradictions
befuddled
vsat sea
7.4

Confused and unable to think clearly

is confusion about what to do, not necessarily reduced thinking ability

Antonyms

certain
840 1.0

Feeling sure and having no doubt

decisive
30 3.7

Able to choose quickly and firmly

How Confused

bewildered
1 5.3
lost
6 1.0
confused
692 1.3
at sea
9 6.8
uncertain
43 3.9
unsure
89 1.5

Surface Forms

at sea positive

Morphology

at + sea

The locative 'at' plus 'sea' creates a metaphorical image (being out on the sea suggests uncertainty or being lost), so there is a plausible connection to 'confused' but the exact idiomatic meaning is not directly derivable from the literal words. This metaphoric extension is somewhat inferable but not fully predictable for a B1 learner without prior exposure, so it is best classified as semi-transparent.

Etymology

At sea comes from sailors who were lost on the sea with no land in sight and did not know which way to go. So today at sea means 'confused' or 'not sure what to do'.