addled

adjective

ad·dled | \ ˈa-dᵊld

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

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About addled

Examples of addled in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Under its playful manner and some very funny side plots — one, in particular, involves the need to source crack cocaine for an addled actor — Assayas continues to explore what was at the heart of the 1996 movie. — New York Times, 6 June 2022 The short fiction story revolves around an addled rock star dealing with the fallout of his infidelity driving his wife to kill herself shortly after their wedding. — Lanford Beard, PEOPLE.com, 18 Feb. 2022 There were five of them, moving in addled formation. — Colin Barrett, The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2021 Even his addled brain comprehends that only one other creature on Earth understands his true nature. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 31 Mar. 2021 The dual-density foam compound is seriously peppy yet still somehow forgiving enough for my addled ankle tendons. — The Editors, Outside Online, 4 Mar. 2021 Emily resists but soon joins in, the Nancy to his addled Midwestern Sid. — Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 25 Feb. 2021 In our addled mind, O Constitutional Scholar, any slowdown in traffic on I-40 between Maumelle and Conway is from congestion created by the thousands of people who live between those two fast-growing cities. — Frank Fellone, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2020 His reply felt like a revelation to my quarantine-addled mind. — Adam Lukach, chicagotribune.com, 18 Sep. 2020 See More

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.