meddling
Americanadjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of meddling
First recorded in 1375–1425; meddle ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective; meddle ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun
Explanation
Meddling is getting involved in something despite that fact that your participation is completely unwanted. If your parents planned out your entire social life, you'd be justified in accusing them of meddling. To meddle is to "interfere in something that's not your concern," and it comes from a root meaning "to mix." Meddling can be used as a noun or as an adjective, to describe annoying people who poke their noses into your business. If you've ever watched old Scooby Doo cartoons, you've heard a villain complain about "those meddling kids!"
Vocabulary lists containing meddling
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
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Vocabulary from Readings 2, Unit 1
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A Snicker of Magic
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Meddling in-laws, persuasive friends, even a therapist or clergy member are all fair game.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026
Q. Meddling mother causing madness: My mother, while otherwise a wonderful person, is obsessed with me getting married.
From Slate • Mar. 2, 2020
Meddling mom meets hunky professor, gets schooled in “Love, Of Course” in this new romantic TV movie starring Kelly Rutherford and Cameron Mathison.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 12, 2018
"Meddling Kids" is the perfect horror detective story for an era in which the national mood can best be described as dread.
From Salon • Jul. 4, 2018
The Meddling Wife The bad news coming from the Syrian front was nothing compared with the alarming reports coming from Athens and Rome.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
