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meddlesome

American  
[med-l-suhm] / ˈmɛd l səm /

adjective

  1. given to meddling; interfering; intrusive.


meddlesome British  
/ ˈmɛdəlsəm /

adjective

  1. intrusive or meddling

"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

Related Words

See curious.

Other Word Forms

  • meddlesomely adverb
  • meddlesomeness noun
  • unmeddlesome adjective

Etymology

Origin of meddlesome

First recorded in 1605–15; meddle + -some 1

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.

And as the tribunes who stir up the populace’s antipathy toward Coriolanus, William DeMeritt and Zuzanna Szadkowski are bland, seemingly unwilling to decide whether their characters are nefarious or just mildly meddlesome.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

He could be meddlesome, a freelance diplomat who irked more than one administration.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 24, 2023

That way, if they are in fact seeking expensive intervention, then your gift will ease their burden at a wrenching time with no strings or meddlesome pressure.

From Washington Post • Aug. 19, 2022

Olga’s mother, Blanca, has never returned to see her children in almost 30 years, but she manages to keep close tabs from afar, sending periodic letters full of tedious ideological instruction and meddlesome guilt trips.

From New York Times • Jan. 10, 2022

Mr. Curtain had transformed all those meddlesome people into his own private workforce, and they didn’t even realize it.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart