addled

adjective

ad·​dled ˈa-dᵊld How to pronounce addled (audio)
1
: thrown into confusion : confused
his addled brain/mind
… vainly endeavouring to master some task … which, to the addled brain of the crushed boy of nineteen, was a sealed and hopeless mystery.Charles Dickens
2
of an egg : rotten, addle
She was romantic, she was sentimental, she had a passion for little secrets and mysteries—a very innocent passion, for her secrets had hitherto always been as unpractical as addled eggs.Henry James

Examples of addled in a Sentence

addled eggs found on a long abandoned hen's nest one of the more addled audience members confused Ghana with Guyana
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Lions’ offense, conversely, never seemed addled as quarterback Jared Goff threw for 303 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Colton Pouncy, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024 Enright’s portrait of the mother is terrific — entitled, manipulative, addled, forlorn — as is her characterisation of each of the siblings whose personalities are formed, or deformed, in their mother’s shadow. Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2024 Psychiatrists testified for both the state and the defense that a person in psychosis is prone to make statements based on a belief in their addled mind. Ron Wilkins, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Nov. 2024 The episode hinges on Novak’s ability to sell Nandor’s transformation from seemingly addled while lecturing a warehouse full of mannequins, to roguishly determined when commanding his followers to set Dartmouth University on fire. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for addled 

Word History

Etymology

variant of addle entry 1, with the adjective suffix -ed entry 1

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of addled was in 1599

Dictionary Entries Near addled

Cite this Entry

“Addled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/addled. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.

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