muddle
English
Etymology
From Middle English modelen (attested in present participle modeland (“wallowing”)), from Middle Dutch moddelen (“to make muddy”), from modde, mod (“mud”) (Modern Dutch modder). Compare German Kuddelmuddel.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈmʌdl̩/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈmʌd(ə)l/
Audio (GA) (file) - Rhymes: -ʌdəl
- Hyphenation: mud‧dle
Verb
muddle (third-person singular simple present muddles, present participle muddling, simple past and past participle muddled)
- To mix together, to mix up; to confuse.
- Young children tend to muddle their words.
- 1847, Francis William Newman, A History of the Hebrew Monarchy
- I will not , to please hostile critics , muddle the argument by making it one of recondite learning , in which neither I nor my readers are strong . I try to lay before the reader reasons from which he can judge for himself
- To mash slightly for use in a cocktail.
- He muddled the mint sprigs in the bottom of the glass.
- To dabble in mud.
- c. 1721-1722, Jonathan Swift, The Progress of Marriage
- Young ducklings foster'd by a hen;
But, when let out, they run and muddle
- Young ducklings foster'd by a hen;
- c. 1721-1722, Jonathan Swift, The Progress of Marriage
- To make turbid or muddy.
- 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], OCLC 228727523:
- He did ill to Muddle the Water.
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- To think and act in a confused, aimless way.
- To cloud or stupefy; to render stupid with liquor; to intoxicate partially.
- 1692, Richard Bentley, [A Confutation of Atheism] (please specify the sermon), London: [Thomas Parkhurst; Henry Mortlock], published 1692–1693:
- Their old master Epicurus seems to have had his brains so muddled and confounded with them, that he scarce ever kept in the right way.
- 1712, John Arbuthnot, The History of John Bull:
- often drunk, always muddled
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- To waste or misuse, as one does who is stupid or intoxicated.
- 1821, William Hazlitt, On the Want of Money
- They muddle it [money] away without method or object, and without having anything to show for it.
- 1821, William Hazlitt, On the Want of Money
Derived terms
- muddle along
- muddlement
- muddler
- muddlesome
- muddle through
- muddle up
Translations
mix together, to mix up; to confuse
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mash for a cocktail
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Noun
muddle (plural muddles)
- A mixture; a confusion; a garble.
- The muddle of nervous speech he uttered did not have much meaning.
- (cooking and cocktails) A mixture of crushed ingredients, as prepared with a muddler.
Derived terms
- muddle-headed
Translations
a mixture; a confusion; a garble
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