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 of addled

• 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 punk band have announced the release of a feature length documentary, titled 40 Years of Fuckin’ Up, that will detail their storied history as drug-addled teen punks-turned-icons. —Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2026

In his addled mind, the millions of people in these cities who depend on federal funds for health, transit, education and whatever else are only pawns in a broader struggle to consolidate his own authority by any means necessary. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026

But a visit to Alice (Crystal Fox), Anna's dementia-addled mother, shines a whole new light on the situation. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026

Some scenes work — the ones between Winslet and Riseborough, for example — but others backfire, such as when Spall’s addled character performs karaoke. —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 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