addle

American  

[ad-l] / ˈæd l /

verb (used with or without object)

addled, addling

1. to make or become confused.

2. to make or become rotten, as eggs.

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adjective

1. mentally confused; muddled.

2. rotten.

   addle eggs.

addle ¹ British  

/ ˈædəl /

verb

1. to make or become confused or muddled

2. to make or become rotten

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adjective

1. (in combination) indicating a confused or muddled state

   addle-brained

   addle-pated

addle ² British  

/ ˈædəl /

verb

1. dialect to earn (money or one's living)

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Other Word Forms

• addled
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of addle

First recorded before 1000; Middle English adel “rotten,” Old English adela “liquid, filth”; cognate with Middle Low German adele “liquid manure”

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Explanation

Addle is a verb meaning to confuse. When your great uncle Marvin became infirm in his later years, trying to distinguish between you and your cousins tended to addle his brain. Addle is a Middle English word coming from the Old English adela, meaning “liquid filth.” It’s related to the German adel, meaning “mire or puddle.” In the thirteenth century, addle was used to refer to rotten eggs. Now it's used to describe a confused mind. When someone's mind becomes addled — whether it's from age or love or illness — it’s like the brain is rotten.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

addle addled addling

He expected the chemical would addle mitochondria in every organ.

From Science Magazine ● May 4, 2023

They even had the guts as three Olympic rookies to watch old South Korean Olympic victory videos, a part of preparation that might addle some.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 25, 2021

Her putter works just fine from medium to long range; it’s the tiddlers that get her nerves jangling and addle the head.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 3, 2019

The company will also remove nests, transport injured birds to rehabilitation centers and addle the eggs.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 27, 2018

“I dim the eyes and addle the brain. Every mortal fears old age!”

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Some of what Chris says is a lie; some is addled and confused.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

He is played with a fine sense of clueless arrogance by Mr. Son, as the character idly practices his golf swing with a precision he fails to bring to his idle and addled mind.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

What rare fruit survived to maturity on these little, addled trees was misshapen, acrid, and stubbornly green on one end; in short, it tasted terrible.

From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026

But, like every addled maniac, his hatred lacks focus.

From Salon ● Jan. 5, 2025

“My, you have become quite the addled one,” said the Sleeper.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi

He said social media could create "greater connections and a sense of belonging" but also came with risks including the "harm of addling the developing mind of young people".

From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2026

It is the play itself that lurches and rocks us, addling our expectation of narrative coherence in order to take us inside the sort of experience that can’t be grasped with the mind alone.

From The New Yorker ● Sep. 30, 2019

I can't decide if it is amusing, ironic or horrifying to note that Universities, institutions allegedly dedicated to expanding and improving the mind, principally responsible for addling the brains of their matriculants.

From New York Times ● Jan. 31, 2018

The blaze has been propelled by a heatwave addling much of the nation, in addition to the naturally dry and windy conditions of Southern California's Santa Clarita Valley, the area affected by the fire.

From US News ● Jul. 25, 2016

The sight of that ever busy multitude, that buzzing hive of restless bees, was only addling to one who never regarded wealth save as a stage to something farther off.

From One Of Them by Charles James Lever

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