curdle

verb

cur·​dle ˈkər-dᵊl 

curdled; curdling

ˈkərd-liŋ, 

ˈkər-dᵊl-iŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to form curds

also : to congeal as if by forming curds

a scream curdled in her throat

2

: to go bad or wrong : spoil

transitive verb

1

: to cause curds to form in

curdled milk

2

: spoil, sour

Examples of curdle in a Sentence

Too much heat will make the custard curdle.

Too much heat will curdle the custard.

Recent Examples on the Web

For one thing, when extremely evil people never seem to get their righteous and fiery comeuppance, my rage can curdle a bit. —Literary Hub, 1 May 2026

Fold in egg whites (mixture may look curdled); beat at medium speed for a few seconds or until smooth. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Apr. 2026

The gentle lampooning of the HBO series Silicon Valley a decade ago has curdled into seething, burn-it-down contempt. —Scott Tobias, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2026

Social surrealists painted the American Dream (a phrase coined in 1931) curdling into nightmares of poverty and slum housing. —John P. Murphy, ARTnews.com, 5 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

metathetic variant of cruddle, crudle, frequentative of crud entry 2

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing curdle

• make someone's blood curdle

Rhymes for curdle

• girdle
• hurdle

Kids Definition

curdle

verb

cur·​dle ˈkərd-ᵊl 

curdled; curdling ˈkərd-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to form curds

2

: to cause curds to form in

high heat curdled the custard

3

—used in expressions such as make one's blood curdle to indicate a feeling of terror

a ghost story that will make your blood curdle