meddle

[ med-l ]

verb (used without object)

meddled, meddling.

1. to involve oneself in a matter without right or invitation; interfere officiously and unwantedly:

   Stop meddling in my personal life!

   Synonyms: pry, intrude, intervene

meddle

/ ˈmɛdəl /

verb

1. usually foll by with to interfere officiously or annoyingly
2. usually foll by in to involve oneself unwarrantedly

   to meddle in someone's private affairs

Derived Forms

• ˈmeddling, adjective
• ˈmeddlingly, adverb
• ˈmeddler, noun

Other Word Forms

• med·dler noun
• o·ver·med·dle verb (used without object) overmeddled overmeddling
• un·med·dled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of meddle¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English medlen, from Old French me(s)dler, variant of mesler “to mix,” from Vulgar Latin misculāre (unrecorded), frequentative of Latin miscēre

Word History and Origins

Origin of meddle¹

C14: from Old French medler, ultimately from Latin miscēre to mix

Example Sentences

In New England, they meddled, manipulated and even murdered.

From Los Angeles Times

At a July 2018 US-Russia summit in Helsinki, Trump said he had no reason to doubt Putin's insistence, counter to US intelligence findings, that Russia did not meddle in the 2016 US election.

From BBC

It’s saying he’s misinformed and fantasizing, not outright lying, as he meddles deeply in California water.

From Los Angeles Times

If he decides to meddle again, he might just blow the whole thing up.

From Salon

But Frederiksen's comments also speak to the Danish resolve not to meddle in the internal affairs of Greenland – an autonomous territory with its own parliament and whose population is increasingly leaning towards independence.

From BBC

Related Words

• hinder
• impede
• impose
• infringe
• intrude
• tamper