addled

[ ad-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.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of addle ( def ).

Other Words From

• un·ad·dled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of addled¹

addle ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

Trump’s apparently already addled mind and debauched morals are in terminal decline, and his campaign isn’t doing much right.

From Salon

His staff did everything they could to make it easy on the increasingly addled old man.

From Salon

That means staying on the attack and showing everybody what a great time she’s having cleaning Trump’s addled clock.

From Salon

They bolted at the final note to get backstage for curtain calls and were met with cheers — not a given with European audiences alternately amazed, addled and appalled by reinvented works known as regietheater.

From Seattle Times

His post-conviction appearance at Trump Tower more closely resembled the ravings of an addled person screaming about demons on the subway than a press conference.

From Salon

Related Words

• befuddled
• bewildered