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

• rotten
• spoiled
• decomposed
• decayed
• corrupted

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

The brood includes an addled patriarch who often forgets to wear pants, an observant matriarch and, best of all, a glum but handsome son (Charlie Anson). —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 22 May 2025

That his pants are always a bit too long adds to the character’s zany, addled vibe. —Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 4 May 2025

Killian’s expression of violence, his expression of his existence, may have been real or may have been a fantasy cooked up in his addled head. —Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2025

Apparently, Callas’s last days were like that — addled, frustrated, sad. —Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 22 Jan. 2025

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

Rhymes for addled

• paddled
• saddled
• straddled