addled

adjective

ad·​dled ˈa-dᵊld 

1

: thrown into confusion : confused

his addled brain/mind

… vainly endeavouring to master some task … which, to the addled brain of the crushed boy of nineteen, was a sealed and hopeless mystery.

—Charles Dickens

2

of an egg : rotten, addle

She was romantic, she was sentimental, she had a passion for little secrets and mysteries—a very innocent passion, for her secrets had hitherto always been as unpractical as addled eggs.

—Henry James

Synonyms

• bad
• corrupted
• decayed
• decomposed
• putrefied
• putrid
• rotten
• spoiled

Examples of addled in a Sentence

addled eggs found on a long abandoned hen's nest

one of the more addled audience members confused Ghana with Guyana

Recent Examples on the Web

Both will try to portray the other as corrupt and addled. —Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 25 June 2024

In essence, the internet democratized the tabloid experience, turning the rest of us into paparazzi and addled editors workshopping headlines and cover images—not to sell magazines, but to amass some kind of fleeting online popularity. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2024

An addled tourist faces criminal charges for his outburst on a packed passenger plane. —Christina Coulter, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2024

By the time the ’60s were imploding, Brian had become more than an addled drug abuser. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

variant of addle entry 1, with the adjective suffix -ed entry 1

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1