muddle

muddle
I UK [ˈmʌd(ə)l] / US noun [countable, usually singular]
Word forms "muddle":
singular muddle plural muddles
a) a confused situation or condition

Her feelings for him are such a muddle.

in a muddle:

She died leaving her financial affairs in a muddle.

b) [countable/uncountable] a mistake caused by a confused situation

Sorry – there's been a bit of a muddle.


II UK [ˈmʌd(ə)l] / US verb [transitive]
Word forms "muddle":
present tense I/you/we/they muddle he/she/it muddles present participle muddling past tense muddled past participle muddled
1) muddle or muddle up to put things into an untidy state or the wrong order

His business files were muddled up with his personal files.

2) muddle or muddle up to think that someone or something is another person or thing as a result of a mistake
get someone/something muddled:

I'm sorry, but I get your names muddled.

Phrasal verbs:

English dictionary. 2014.

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Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • muddle on — ˌmuddle a ˈlong ˌmuddle ˈon [intransitive] [present tense I/you/we/they muddle along he/she/it muddles along …   Useful english dictionary

  • Muddle — Mud dle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Muddled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Muddling}.] [From {Mud}.] 1. To make turbid, or muddy, as water. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] He did ill to muddle the water. L Estrange. [1913 Webster] 2. To cloud or stupefy; to render stupid… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • muddle up — ˌmuddle ˈup [transitive] [present tense I/you/we/they muddle up he/she/it muddles up present participle muddling up past tense …   Useful english dictionary

  • muddle — ► VERB 1) bring into a disordered or confusing state. 2) confuse or perplex (someone). 3) (muddle up) confuse (two or more things) with each other. 4) (muddle along/through) cope more or less satisfactorily. ► NOUN ▪ a mudd …   English terms dictionary

  • Muddle — Mud dle, n. A state of being turbid or confused; hence, intellectual cloudiness or dullness. [1913 Webster] We both grub on in a muddle. Dickens. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Muddle — may refer to: Mr. Muddle, one of the Mr. Men from the children s book series by Richard Hargreaves MDL (programming language), the Lisp derived language that Zork was first written in MUDDL, a programming language originally created for the first …   Wikipedia

  • muddle# — muddle vb *confuse, addle, fuddle, befuddle Analogous words: *puzzle, perplex, mystify, bewilder, distract, nonplus, confound, dumbfound: faze, rattle, discomfit, *embarrass: fluster, flurry, upset, agitate, *discompose Antonyms: enlighten muddle …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • muddle — [n] confused state ataxia, awkwardness, botch, chaos, clutter, complexity, complication, confusion, daze, difficulty, dilemma, disarrangement, disarray, disorder, disorganization, emergency, encumbrance, fog, foul up*, hash, haze, intricacy,… …   New thesaurus

  • muddle — [mud′ l] vt. muddled, muddling [< MUD + LE] 1. to mix up in a confused manner; jumble; bungle 2. to mix or stir (a drink, etc.) 3. to make (water, etc.) turbid 4. to confuse mentally; befuddle, as with alcoholic liquor …   English World dictionary

  • Muddle — Mud dle, v. i. 1. To dabble in mud. [Obs.] Swift. [1913 Webster] 2. To think and act in a confused, aimless way. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • muddle — I verb addle, baffle, becloud, befog, befuddle, bewilder, botch, bungle, cloud, complicate, confound, confundere, confuse, daze, derange, disarrange, discompose, disconcert, disorder, disorganize, disturb, embrangle, entangle, fluster, fog,… …   Law dictionary

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