I. ˈməd ə l verb
( muddled ; muddled ; muddling -d( ə )liŋ ; muddles )
Etymology: probably from obsolete Dutch moddelen to make muddy or turbid, from Middle Dutch, freq. of modden to make muddy or turbid, from modde mud; akin to Middle Low German mode, mudde thick mud — more at mud
transitive verb
1. : to spoil the clearness of (colors)
the transparent freshness of watercolor drawings when the washes are not muddled — E.V.Neale
2. : to make turbid or muddy
muddled the brook with his splashings
3. : to make (one's brain) cloudy or foggy : make stupid especially with liquor
the drink muddled him and his voice became loud and domineering
4. : to make indistinct (as speech) : mumble
the unforgivable sin in a pupil is not ungrammatical speech but muddled speech — George Sampson
5. : to waste or squander without purpose — usually used with away
muddle away a fortune
muddle away the hours until train time
6. : to mix confusedly : jumble together without purpose
two worlds of discourse become muddled together in the same language and become nonsense — F.S.C.Northrop
7. : to make a mess of : bungle
muddled themselves into the most indefensible positions — A.N.Whitehead
too much is at stake in government for them to be permitted to muddle policies — V.L.Parrington
8. of mixed drinks : to crush and mix (as mint and sugar) by working a spoon or similar utensil on the bottom of a glass or mixer
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to dabble or wallow in mud or dirt
cats and dogs muddling round a fire — E.M.Forster
b. archaic : to do hard often dirty work : grub
2. : to think, act, or go in a confused aimless way or in a way that tends to make a mess of things
the story … is one of muddling and halfheartedness — R.C.K.Ensor
muddle around a house for a week — Peggy Durdin
let her muddle along thinking she is getting ready — Marcia Davenport
II. noun
( -s )
1. : a state of confusion: as
a. : thinking that lacks clarity and precision : intellectual cloudiness : vacuity
the muddle in the argument — John Holloway
surrounded by a vast muddle of hearsay — Janet Flanner
b. : a condition marked by bungling, uncertainty, and lack of clear procedure or aim
dislike of the muddle and the misdirection of our institutions — Times Literary Supplement
the world's been confused and poor, a thorough muddle — H.G.Wells
saw what faulty coordination and general muddle can do to an army — G.A.Craig
c. : an untidy litter of heterogeneous things out of place or order
I'll move these newspapers, excuse the muddle — Janet Frame
a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance, a muddle of gables and projections — S.P.B.Mais
the shelves in ascending degrees of muddle covered the wall — John Updike
2.
a. : a fish stew
b. : a gathering where muddle is served
Synonyms: see confusion