addled

adjective

|Updated on: 22 Jul 2018

Definition of addled

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

Recent Examples of addled from the Web

The looks came and came and came, testing even the most un-addled short-term memory.

— luke leitch, Vogue, "Dolce & Gabbana’s Como Chameleons: Naomi Campbell, Halima Aden, and Maye Musk Model Alta Moda in Italy," 6 July 2018
This was John Elway faking the handoff to a migraine-addled Terrell Davis in the Super Bowl.

— robert klemko, SI.com, "Don't Be Fooled: President Trump Is Using NFL as Distraction for Bigger Issues Surrounding White House," 5 June 2018
But the addled nature of the Trump era is such that Obama’s decision to follow the well-worn path of earlier presidents has been a fraught choice, one that many Obama supporters disagree with.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "Barack Obama’s very traditional retirement is controversial.," 25 June 2018
Because the thing is, my soccer-addled son is undersized too.

— brad rickman, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Loneliness of the American Soccer Fan," 15 June 2018
Movement is what the screen-addled mind craves, and movement is the attraction of soccer, basketball and football (even with its perception of movement created by the use of the no-huddle offense).

— tom verducci, SI.com, "There Are Too Many Strikeouts in Baseball: Here's How to Fix the Problem," 14 June 2018
His insider vision of the coke-addled misfits of New York City’s fine dining establishments was a roasted sheep testicle version of a restaurant kitchen.

— alexis sobel fitts, WIRED, "Without Anthony Bourdain, Food Instagram Culture Wouldn't Exist," 8 June 2018
The Boston Globe reports that, according to multiple sources, the White House staffers who help control President Trump’s Twitter feed are quite devoted to accurately imitating their addled boss.

— benjamin hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Report: Trump’s Tweets Include Intentional Grammatical Errors," 22 May 2018
Noelle’s grief-addled mother, Lisa (Cassie Beck), shows up at Julie’s apartment, after Dan agrees to hold on to some boxes belonging to the dead girl.

— ben brantley, New York Times, "Review: ‘This Flat Earth’ Traces Childhood Fears No Parent Can Allay," 9 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'addled.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.