MEANING
1. To confuse, muddle, or impair clear thinking.
2. To spoil or become spoiled, especially of an egg.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- addle the mind
- addle someone’s judgment
On the page
The sleepless nights addled his judgment.
The noise addled her thoughts before she could finish counting.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- addle
- Past tense
- addled
- Past participle
- addled
- Present participle
- addling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- addle
- Present continuous
- am/is/are addling
- Present perfect
- have/has addled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been addling
- Past
- addled
- Past continuous
- was/were addling
- Past perfect
- had addled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been addling
- Future
- will addle
- Future continuous
- will be addling
- Future perfect
- will have addled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been addling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Explore related collections
Usage notes
Primary category: horror. Forms: addle; addles; addled; addled; addling Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: addles.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.