muddle

1 of 2

verb

mud·​dle ˈmə-dᵊl 

muddled; muddling ˈməd-liŋ 

ˈmə-dᵊl-iŋ

transitive verb

1

: to make turbid or muddy

muddled the brook with his splashings

2

: to befog or stupefy (see stupefy sense 1) especially with liquor

The drink muddled him and his voice became loud and domineering.

3

: to mix confusedly

muddles the household accounts

4

: to make a mess of : bungle

muddled themselves into the most indefensible positions

—A. N. Whitehead

intransitive verb

: to think or act in a confused aimless way

She muddled along for a year before going to college.

muddler

ˈməd-lər 

ˈmə-dᵊl-ər

noun

muddle

2 of 2

noun

1

: a state of especially mental confusion

2

: a confused mess

muddly

ˈməd-lē 

ˈmə-dᵊl-ē

adjective

Synonyms

Verb

• addle
• baffle
• bamboozle
• beat
• befog
• befuddle
• bemuse
• bewilder
• buffalo
• confound
• confuse
• discombobulate
• disorient
• flummox
• fox
• fuddle
• get
• gravel
• maze
• muddy
• mystify
• perplex
• pose
• puzzle
• vex

Noun

• chance-medley
• chaos
• confusion
• disarrangement
• disarray
• dishevelment
• disorder
• disorderedness
• disorderliness
• disorganization
• free-for-all
• havoc
• heck
• hell
• jumble
• mare's nest
• mess
• messiness
• misorder
• muss
• shambles
• snake pit
• tumble
• welter

Examples of muddle in a Sentence

Verb

a car shopper thoroughly muddled by too much well-meaning advice

some mischievous brat had muddled the household accounts

Noun

His papers were in a muddle.

His mind was a muddle.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

What to watch: The October jobs report was muddled by hurricane and strike disruptions. —Courtenay Brown, Axios, 3 Dec. 2024

While the critical response to Gladiator is somewhat muddled (it is typically considered to be in the middle of the pack of Best Picture winners), no other gladiator movie quite captures the gory glory of Rome. —James Grebey, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024

Noun

Except maybe for 1992’s South of the Border, West of the Sun, no previous Murakami novel has so clearly dealt with and inhabited the muddle of middle age. —Bailey Trela, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024

Netanyahu has struggled to maintain a hold over his fragile, right-wing governing coalition and its muddle of competing interests, whose collapse could spell the end of his leadership. —Tara John, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

probably from obsolete Dutch moddelen, from Middle Dutch, from modde mud; akin to Middle Low German mudde

First Known Use

Verb

1676, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1808, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing muddle

• in a muddle
• muddle along
• muddle through

Kids Definition

muddle

1 of 2 verb

mud·​dle ˈməd-ᵊl 

muddled; muddling ˈməd-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to be or cause to be confused or bewildered : stupefy

muddled by too much advice

2

: to mix up in a confused way

muddle the household accounts

3

: to think or act in a confused way : bungle

muddle through a task

muddler

-lər 

-ᵊl-ər

noun

muddle

2 of 2 noun

1

: a state of confusion or bewilderment

2

: a confused mess : jumble