addle

verbconfuse

Synonyms for addle

verb confuse

Antonyms for addle

Word Origin & History

1712, from addle (n.) "urine, liquid filth," from Old English adela "mud, mire, liquid manure" (cognate with Old Swedish adel "urine," Middle Low German adel, Dutch aal "puddle").

Used in noun phrase addle egg (mid-13c.) "egg that does not hatch, rotten egg," literally "urine egg," a loan-translation of Latin ovum urinum, which is itself an erroneous loan-translation of Greek ourion oon "putrid egg," literally "wind egg," from ourios "of the wind" (confused by Roman writers with ourios "of urine," from ouron "urine"). Because of this usage, from c.1600 the noun in English was taken as an adjective meaning "putrid," and thence given a figurative extension to "empty, vain, idle," also "confused, muddled, unsound" (1706). The verb followed a like course. Related: Addled; addling.

Example Sentences for addle

My head, too, is as addle as an egg this morning, with dining abroad yesterday.

The fumes of the wine were mounting steadily to addle his indifferent brains.

My strong ale must have got into your addle pate with a vengeance.

One drink will addle a person's wits and the second will act as an antidote.

"Don't sit on them with your head downward, or you'll addle them," said Mr. Brush, fiercely.

And ever since he had been repeating to himself, “What do they addle?”

I'm not behowden to ye for mich, as how 'tis—I reckon I addle my mate.

As the sayin' is: 'The tongue of a woman, at last it biteth like a serpent an' it stingeth like an addle,' an' I guess it's so.

Thy head is as full of quarrels as an egg is full of meat, and yet thy head hath been beaten as addle as an egg for quarrelling.

Party debate will addle your pate, ex-parte "facts" bring dizziness.

addle

Synonyms for addle

Antonyms for addle

baffled

befuddle

befuddles

bemuse

bewilder

addle

Synonyms for addle

Antonyms for addle

More words related to addle

baffle

baffled

befuddle

befuddles

bemuse

bewilder