fuddle

verb

fud·​dle ˈfə-dᵊl 

fuddled; fuddling ˈfə-dᵊl-iŋ 

ˈfəd-liŋ

intransitive verb

: booze, tipple

transitive verb

1

: to make drunk : intoxicate

2

: to make confused : muddle

corridors, archways, recesses … combined to fuddle any sense of direction

—Elizabeth Bowen

Synonyms

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

Examples of fuddle in a Sentence

the hotel staff is completely fuddled by the guest's bizarre requests

Recent Examples on the Web

In colliding with a new type of animal, a chemical that might once have served to fuddle the wits of pests has been transformed into a glittering lure. —Gareth Cook, Scientific American, 24 June 2020

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense