addled
Americanadjective
-
confused, especially mentally.
Given her addled state, the police discounted much of what the witness had to say.
-
(of an egg) not able to produce viable young.
One of the nests had two chicks and two addled eggs.
verb
Other Word Forms
- unaddled adjective
Etymology
Origin of addled
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.
Los Angeles and Tucson, Ariz. Despite many close friendships, especially with women, he was at heart a loner, conditioned, possibly, by clinical depression, for which he sought electroshock therapy even though it addled his brain.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
No mastermind, Musk is more Scaramucci 2.0—an addled and overcaffeinated whirlwind that we all hoped would be one more chapter to which we could say: “Whoa, that was wild. Next.”
From Slate • Feb. 7, 2025
But, like every addled maniac, his hatred lacks focus.
From Salon • Jan. 5, 2025
Peruvians are demoralized by all the corruption and still addled from the COVID-19 pandemic, Gorriti says.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 27, 2024
His eyes moved sluggishly, as if he had been addled by a blow to the head.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
