meddle
Americanverb (used without object)
verb
-
(usually foll by with) to interfere officiously or annoyingly
-
(usually foll by in) to involve oneself unwarrantedly
to meddle in someone's private affairs
Other Word Forms
- meddler noun
- meddling adjective
- meddlingly adverb
- overmeddle verb (used without object)
- unmeddled adjective
Etymology
Origin of meddle
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
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.
It asserted America's right to dominate the Western hemisphere and keep European powers from trying to meddle in the newly independent states of Latin America.
From BBC • Jan. 24, 2026
When Monroe declared the Americas off limits to “future colonization by any European powers,” the U.S. didn’t really have the means or motive to meddle abroad.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026
Public policy advocates and experts expressed concern about state lawmakers using their power to meddle with local housing projects, especially when carving out exemptions from laws they’ve imposed on everyone else in the state.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2025
It’s actually quite problematic that some perversely rich guys meddle in our affairs in their own way.
From Slate • Nov. 19, 2025
“I dont mean to meddle in your affairs. But I dont know what I’d do if anything happened to you, Jason.”
From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner
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.
