meddle

[ med-l ]
See synonyms for: meddlemeddlingmeddler on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),med·dled, med·dling.
  1. to involve oneself in a matter without right or invitation; interfere officiously and unwantedly: Stop meddling in my personal life!

Origin of meddle

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English medlen, from Old French me(s)dler, variant of mesler “to mix,” from Vulgar Latin misculāre (unrecorded), frequentative of Latin miscēre

Other words for meddle

Other words from meddle

  • med·dler, noun
  • o·ver·med·dle, verb (used without object), o·ver·med·dled, o·ver·med·dling.
  • un·med·dled, adjective

Words that may be confused with meddle

Words Nearby meddle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use meddle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for meddle

meddle

/ (ˈmɛdəl) /


verb(intr)
  1. (usually foll by with) to interfere officiously or annoyingly

  2. (usually foll by in) to involve oneself unwarrantedly: to meddle in someone's private affairs

Origin of meddle

1
C14: from Old French medler, ultimately from Latin miscēre to mix

Derived forms of meddle

  • meddler, noun
  • meddling, adjective
  • meddlingly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012