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addled 1 of 2

adjective

ˈa-dᵊld How to pronounce addled (audio)
Definition of addlednext
1
as in rotten
having undergone organic breakdown addled eggs found on a long abandoned hen's nest

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dazed
suffering from mental confusion one of the more addled audience members confused Ghana with Guyana

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addled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of addle
as in baffled
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty after slipping on the ice, Bethany was so addled that she left her groceries where they'd fallen

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of addled
Adjective
In 2023, Hollywood released 29 sequels, as many as some of the peak years, and even released 25 sequels in the pandemic-addled 2021. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 10 Aug. 2026 In these novels, the main character has been so absurdly addled by a (late-revealed) trauma that everyday human interactions are wildly aglow with (at first) terror or (later) manic-pixie wonder. — Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
Verb
An environment addled by politics isn’t one most CEOs relish, Griffin, 57, told the Wall Street Journal’s Invest Live conference yesterday. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026 That decision, even if only for exploratory purposes, should be left to a Congress whose majority isn’t addled by either devotion to Trump or fear of him. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for addled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for addled
  1. rotten
  2. dazed
  3. baffled
  4. spoiled
  5. bewildered
  6. confused
  7. decomposed
  8. distracted
Adjective
  • Previous Evil pics have been rotten on Rotten Tomatoes with critics.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
  • John Mozeliak — the interim general manager charged with repairing the rotten organization — did not take responsibility.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of rotten
Adjective
  • Laiken Randolph appeared dazed, and possibly on drugs, officers remarked.
    — Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Hsu maps a Los Angeles of leftovers and castoffs; portraits of friends and strangers in the street are full of dazed, inscrutable expressions.
    — Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of dazed
Verb
  • Her unconventional breakdancing moves during her final performance against Lithuania’s Dominika Banevič (B-Girl Nicka) baffled audiences at home and cemented her as a meme royalty.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Host Kara Robinson Chamberlain, a true crime influencer, kidnapping survivor and former law enforcement officer, investigated the killing that has baffled Liz's family, friends and the community for seven years.
    — Curran Rastogi, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of baffled
Adjective
  • None of its marks seem to maintain their integrity for more than an inch or two without being fretted or spoiled.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • People are throwing out spoiled food and lining up for hot meals, according to reports, while searching for laundromats, working Wi-Fi, cleaning wipes and diapers.
    — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of spoiled
Adjective
  • Five o’clock Saturday, the Riverside Stadium and Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg is fist-pumping a half-bewildered but fully enthused home crowd.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • When kids first got online, parents were bewildered and alarmed, but kids, who tend to gravitate to new technology, found freedom in a space that was basically ungoverned.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of bewildered
Verb
  • After she was placed under arrest, Boucher appeared confused by the slow-moving process.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Not to be confused with inverted full backs, an inverted winger is a wide player who is used on the opposite side of the pitch to their strong foot — so a left-footer on the right or a right-footer on the left.
    — Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of confused
Adjective
  • Two decomposed bodies have been found within five days at a park in western North Carolina, and both cases are classified as murders, according to investigators.
    — Mark Price July 26, Charlotte Observer, 26 July 2026
  • At a time when the Earth was bare, when there were no vertebrates, no trees, no leaves, no flowering plants, and no plants with seeds, millipedes were feeding on decaying mosses, decomposed slime, and primordial gunk.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026
Definition of decomposed
Adjective
  • In the moment, however, Martins imbues tremendous intrigue through snippets of the seemingly distracted middle-aged driver, Wesley (Renato Novaes), and eventually, through the crash itself.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Following instructions from the kidnappers (unbeknownst to his increasingly agitated comrades), Lee drives out to meet them for the exchange, only to wreck his car and become distracted saving a nearby woman, Hua (Moon Lee).
    — Jake Cole, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of distracted

Browse Nearby Words

addle
addled
addlepated
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Cite this Entry

“Addled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/addled. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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