muddled

American  

[muhd-ld] / ˈmʌd ld /

adjective

1. mixed up, confused, or disordered.

   The rejection is based on faulty underlying assumptions and muddled thinking.

2. muddy, clouded, or obscured; murky.

   After a long winter season, your pool is most likely a tub of muddled water with foliage and twigs floating about.

3. (of an ingredient) mixed, crushed, or mashed into a drink, especially with a muddler.

   The freshly muddled kiwi adds an unexpected flavor to this handmade cocktail.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of muddle.

Other Word Forms

• unmuddled adjective

Etymology

Origin of muddled

muddle ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

This leaves matters just as muddled because the gap between the forecast core rates is even larger.

From The Wall Street Journal

Above a muddled Southland college basketball landscape, a heartwarming, heartstopping story has arisen.

From Los Angeles Times

Through all of its muddled schlock, Gyllenhaal’s film never once loses its distinctly feminine ambition, and that makes “The Bride!” a far more faithful “Frankenstein” adaptation than any made by a man.

From Salon

But the president’s message grew muddled over the course of the last week, after he offered conflicting goals in a series of interviews with reporters.

From Los Angeles Times

My brain felt muddled as I tried to remember a time that I’d written my name on this, but I kept coming up short.

From Literature

Related Words

• blurred
• chaotic
• convoluted
• disorganized
• jumbled
• messy