riddled
Americanadjective
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filled with, and often thoroughly weakened by, something undesirable (used in combination).
For decades taxpayers subsidized this fault-riddled nuclear plant, with its defective reactors and substandard construction.
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pierced in many places (usually used in combination).
His bullet-riddled body was found two days later.
verb
Etymology
Origin of riddled
Explanation
If an object is riddled with something, that means it's covered by that thing: for example, a tree trunk might be riddled with tiny holes made by the beaks of woodpeckers. The adjective riddled most often describes something damaged by or spread full of holes, like a rusty old mailbox riddled with bullet holes or a block of Swiss cheese riddled with holes. You can also use it figuratively: "It's so sad, her dog is riddled with cancer," or "The plot of your novel is riddled with holes — it just doesn't hold up." Riddled comes from the Old English hriddel, "sieve."
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.
Spexard says take-home assignments became so riddled with AI slop that they’re becoming obsolete and live assignments are now the way to go.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Sanft has also said prosecution witnesses were unreliable and the police investigation was riddled with issues.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
And being riddled with all the cliched insecurities that every other actor, when you’re playing it, you go, “God, this feels great. To not even have to try with people must be so wonderful.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
SpaceX’s route to achieving its grand connectivity vision for Starlink is riddled with multibillion-dollar problems and would require decades’ worth of catching up, according to MoffettNathanson analysts.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 25, 2026
Baba’s brain on those pictures looked like cross sections of a big walnut, riddled with tennis ball—shaped gray things.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
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.
