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Glite Dictionary
at sea

at sea

10 6.8
Confused and not sure what to do
  • idiom
: 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
762 1.3

Not able to think clearly or understand what is happening

is uncertainty about what to do rather than only unclear thinking
lost
vsat sea
625 1.0

Confused and unsure what to do or where to go

is the general state of confusion about actions rather than location
baffled
vsat sea
48 3.9

Feeling confused when you cannot understand something

is broader insecurity about choices, not only hard to explain problems
bewildered
vsat sea
38 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
mixed-up
vsat sea
  • Informal
26 4.9

Confused and unsure because different ideas or instructions do not agree

is general confusion without emphasising conflicting information
bemused
vsat sea
13 6.7

Unable to understand what is happening

is active uncertainty about what to do, not quiet puzzlement
befuddled
vsat sea
10 7.4

Confused and unable to think clearly

is confusion about what to do, not necessarily reduced thinking ability
confounded
vsat sea
7 6.8

Feeling very confused and not able to understand something unexpected

is simpler uncertainty about action rather than complexity of causes
mazed
vsat sea
1 9.6

Confused and unable to think clearly

is plain uncertainty about action rather than overload of contradictions
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

Antonyms

certain
722 1.0

Feeling sure and having no doubt

decisive
39 3.7

Able to choose quickly and firmly

How Confused

bewildered
38 5.3
lost
625 1.0
confused
762 1.3
at sea
10 6.8
uncertain
41 3.9
unsure
99 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'.