meddle

verb

med·​dle ˈme-dᵊl 

meddled; meddling

ˈmed-liŋ,

ˈme-dᵊl-iŋ 

intransitive verb

: to interest oneself in what is not one's concern : interfere without right or propriety (see propriety sense 1)

I never meddle in other people's private affairs

—G. B. Shaw

meddler

ˈmed-lər  ˈme-dᵊl-ər 

noun

Synonyms

• interfere
• mess

Examples of meddle in a Sentence

please stop meddling in your sister's marriage, even though you mean well

Recent Examples on the Web

The lawsuit has led to accusations from journalists that Paramount leadership has meddled in coverage of Trump, compromising their integrity. —Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025

As first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Parker and Stone (through their attorney) threatened legal action against Paramount, accusing the company’s incoming president Jeff Shell of meddling in their contract negotiations with Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix. —Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2025

Merz has pushed back on Trump administration’s officials meddling in Germany’s domestic politics. —Filip Timotija, The Hill, 31 May 2025

He was not elected to be yet another interventionist president meddling in the affairs of nations across the planet. —The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 17 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English medlen, from Anglo-French mesler, medler, from Vulgar Latin *misculare, from Latin miscēre to mix — more at mix

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for meddle

• bedell
• heddle
• medal
• pedal
• peddle
• wedel
• bipedal
• intermeddle

Kids Definition

meddle

verb

med·​dle ˈmed-ᵊl 

meddled; meddling ˈmed-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

: to interest oneself in what is not one's concern

meddle in another's business

meddler

ˈmed-lər 

-ᵊl-ər

noun