Flustrate, Fluster, and Frustrate

Flustrate (and its often said derivative flustrated) is not a word. It seems to be combined from the words fluster and frustrate. Fluster means to agitate or confuse someone and frustrate means to prevent something from happening or to cause someone to feel upset.

• Example: You need to complete the work on time without getting flustered.
• Example: This Spanish test is going to frustrate me to no end.

Memorization tip: Never, under any circumstances, use flustrate or flustrated.

Unique

Unique means that whatever is being described is the only thing of its kind. Many people will add very, truly, absolutely, or other words before unique (i.e. That painting is very unique) in an attempt to make the object being described stand out even more. However, this is grammatically incorrect. Unique does not need and should not have any other modifying word (adjective) before it. The word unique should stand alone when describing something.

• Example: The actor portrayed Hamlet in a unique way.

Memorization tip: Remember, unique stands alone. By the nature of its definition, it is one of a kind.