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

What began as skepticism towards AI has curdled into a palpable AI hatred across the American workforce. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026

But over the past decade or so, something has started to curdle in the upper reaches of state government. —Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026

The lemon curd filling must be whisked until smooth, but never curdled. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026

When the facts became impossible to deny, the loyalty of thousands of people curdled almost instantly into fury. —Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 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