muddled
Americanadjective
-
mixed up, confused, or disordered.
The rejection is based on faulty underlying assumptions and muddled thinking.
-
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.
-
(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.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of muddled
Explanation
Muddled things are all mixed-up and confused. Your mind might feel muddled when you first wake up from a long nap. Your school's football quarterback might get muddled and throw the ball the wrong way. Or, your muddled French teacher could make the class feel muddled too if she accidentally starts speaking German in class. The verb muddle, "to make confused or disordered," originally meant "destroy the clarity of," from its literal meaning, "to bathe in mud."
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.
"The differences between the parties have been quite muddled for a while," one says.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Rising competition and a cautious consumer backdrop have suppressed sales, analysts say, and frequent management changes have muddled the strategy.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 8, 2026
But because decomposing food is a source of ammonia, the source of any emissions remains muddled, regulators said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Think whipped ricotta and blue cheese on crisp oil-toasted sourdough, topped with muddled olives, garlic, lemon and orange zest, fresh basil, olive brine, and a little red pepper flake.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
And Louise, still muddled, looked around for her skirt and something for on top.
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
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.
