addled

American  

[ad-ld] / ˈæd ld /

adjective

1. confused, especially mentally.

   Given her addled state, the police discounted much of what the witness had to say.

2. (of an egg) not able to produce viable young.

   One of the nests had two chicks and two addled eggs.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of addle.

Other Word Forms

• unaddled adjective

Etymology

Origin of addled

addle ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Los Angeles and Tucson, Ariz. Despite many close friendships, especially with women, he was at heart a loner, conditioned, possibly, by clinical depression, for which he sought electroshock therapy even though it addled his brain.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

No mastermind, Musk is more Scaramucci 2.0—an addled and overcaffeinated whirlwind that we all hoped would be one more chapter to which we could say: “Whoa, that was wild. Next.”

From Slate • Feb. 7, 2025

But, like every addled maniac, his hatred lacks focus.

From Salon • Jan. 5, 2025

In Japan, I learned that many of the walls that toppled in 2011 had been built after World War II, when the country churned out concrete to spark its addled economy.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 22, 2024

It was his addled understanding of the rules of warfare that the marksman should be given a second chance.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

Related Words

• befuddled
• bewildered