riddled

American  

[rid-ld] / ˈrɪd ld /

adjective

1. 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.

2. pierced in many places (usually used in combination).

   His bullet-riddled body was found two days later.

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verb

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

Etymology

Origin of riddled

riddle ² ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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

See Examples For:

riddled

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

McElwee’s last documentary, 2011’s “Photographic Memory,” saw Adrian as a young adult, trying to come into his own and figure out his place in life amid a shifting social landscape riddled with digital black holes.

From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026

First, practice distinguishing between what the Constitution says and what judges and justices say about the Constitution, a document riddled with aspirational vagaries and flexible abstractions.

From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026

That’s why legal briefs in the case are riddled with citations to an obscure 1915 book by a Boston lawyer named Josiah Henry Benton, who argued that historians had overlooked the practice.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

What’s strange about the whole thing is that although it’s riddled with nonsense, altogether it’s true—Julie’s told our story, mine and hers, our friendship, so truthfully.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• addled
• ruined
• withered