muddle

A mixture; a confusion; a garble.

Noun

  1. A mixture; a confusion; a garble.
    • The muddle of nervous speech he uttered did not have much meaning.
    • As a result, no single party or coalition immediately gained enough parliamentary seats to govern, thrusting Spain into a familiar political muddle and giving new life to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who only days ago...
  2. A mixture of crushed ingredients, as prepared with a muddler.
  3. A muddy mess.
    • I must drive as quick with a thunder-rain pelting in my face, and the roads in a muddle, and the horses starting—I can’t call it shying, I have ’em too well in hand,—at every flash, just as quick as if it was a fine...

Origin

From Middle English modelen (attested in present participle modeland (“wallowing”)), from Middle Dutch moddelen (“to make muddy”), from modde, mod (“mud”) (Modern Dutch modder). By surface analysis, mud + -le. Compare German Kuddelmuddel.

Forms

muddles

Related

mudpuddle

Derived

bemuddle muddle along muddlebrained muddled muddledom muddlehead muddleheaded muddle-headed muddlement muddle on muddler muddlesome muddle the waters muddle through muddle up muddlingly muddly remuddle unmuddle

Noun India, historical

  1. A servant's attendant; underservant.
    • We bought a few rugs and odds and ends and our sitting room looks quite European; then we have a bedroom with 2 beds and a dressing room, also a corridor for the muddles and servants. - 1985, Lizzie Hessel, Ann Brown,...
    • I have an ayah (or lady's maid), and a tailor (for the ayahs cannot work); and A—84 has a boy: also two muddles—one to sweep my room, and another to bring water. - 2022, Carl Thompson, Katrina O'Loughlin, Éadaoin Agnew,...

Forms

muddles

Verb

  1. To mix together, to mix up; to confuse.
    • Young children tend to muddle their words.
    • I will not , to please hostile critics , muddle the argument by making it one of recondite learning , in which neither I nor my readers are strong . I try to lay before the reader reasons from which he can judge for...
  2. To mash slightly for use in a cocktail.
    • He muddled the mint sprigs in the bottom of the glass.
  3. To dabble in mud.
    • c. 1721-1722, Jonathan Swift, The Progress of Marriage Young ducklings foster'd by a hen; But, when let out, they run and muddle
  4. To make turbid or muddy.
    • He did ill to Muddle the Water. - 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard]...
  5. To think and act in a confused, aimless way.
  6. To cloud or stupefy; to render stupid with liquor; to intoxicate partially.
    • Their old master Epicurus seems to have had his brains so muddled and confounded with them, that he scarce ever kept in the right way. - 1692, Richard Bentley, [A Confutation of Atheism] (please specify the sermon),...
    • […] I vvas for five Years often drunk, alvvays muddled, they carry'd me from Tavern to Tavern, to Alehouſes and Brandy Shops, and brought me acquainted vvith ſuch ſtrange Dogs! - 1733, Humphry Polesworth [pseudonym;...
  7. To waste or misuse, as one does who is stupid or intoxicated.
    • They muddle it [money] away without method or object, and without having anything to show for it. - 1821, William Hazlitt, On the Want of Money:

Forms

muddles muddling muddled