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

Recent Examples on the Web

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

Sure, there were some addled clowns not of this realm peppered throughout the amphitheater. —Matt Wake | [e-mail], al, 12 July 2023

But in the pilot, Logan is an addled old man stumbling down the dark hallways of his new home until his wife, Marcia (Hiam Abbass), tracks him down and switches the light on to reveal him confused and peeing on the carpet. —Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2023

Everyone can be upended in an addled world. —Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2021

This rack holds an impressive amount of feeding gear while still keeping everything in arm's reach, saving time for addled parents with hungry babies. —Marisa Lascala and Lori Bergamotto, Good Housekeeping, 12 Jan. 2023

Republicans paint him as addled and listless at 79. —Dallas News, 27 Aug. 2022

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