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

There’s something striking about how Black Mirror, which primarily fixates on near-futuristic tech conceits as a lens through which to unpack human anxieties, has effectively spanned the length of our collective curdling relationship with technology. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025

But their chemistry begins to curdle as Violet begins being irritated and then terrorized by a series of anonymous drops to her phone. —Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025

Frustration with health care The core reason for Mangione’s support is a deep dislike of American health care insurance companies, and this has curdled into disdain and resentment for the executives in charge. —Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2025

Thomas had a long and prolific career, right up to his final years, despite his health woes and a famously cranky personality that could curdle soup across the room. —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025

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