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Definition of addled

addled

/ˈæd.əld/
ad · dled
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addled Lexical Profile

addled Game Scores & Validity

• adjective

1

Unable to think clearly; mentally confused, muddled, or disoriented.

Example

"After working through two consecutive sleepless nights, his addled mind could barely process the simplest instructions."

2

Rotten, spoiled, and failing to develop or hatch properly (specifically of an egg).

Example

"The farmer candled the clutch of eggs and carefully discarded the addled ones."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for addled

• Nearby Words

additionally
additive
additively
addled
address
addressable
addressee

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from the verb addle, which comes from the Old English noun adela meaning liquid filth or mire, historically used in the phrase 'addle egg' (literally a urine-egg, a mistranslation of the Latin ovum urinum for a wind-egg) to describe a rotten, unfertilized egg.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Addled. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/addled
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