muddle
(redirected from muddles)Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms, Encyclopedia.
mud·dle
(mŭd′l)v. mud·dled, mud·dling, mud·dles
v.tr.
1.
a. To mix together, especially confusedly: The various flavors are muddled in this recipe.
b. To mix (a drink or the ingredients of a drink), especially with a muddler.
2.
a. To put into a state of confusion; confuse: Emotional rhetoric will only muddle the debate on the issue.
b. To confuse or befuddle (a person or the mind, for example). See Synonyms at befuddle.
3. To mismanage or bungle: muddle a task.
4. To make turbid or muddy.
v.intr.
Phrasal Verb: To think, act, or proceed in a confused or aimless manner: muddled along through my high-school years.
muddle through
To push on to a favorable outcome in a disorganized way.
[Possibly from obsolete Dutch moddelen, to make water muddy, from Middle Dutch, frequentative of *modden, to make muddy, from modde, mud.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
muddle
(ˈmʌdəl)vb (tr)
1. (often foll by up) to mix up (objects, items, etc); jumble
2. to confuse
3. to make (water) muddy or turbulent
4. (Brewing) US to mix or stir (alcoholic drinks, etc)
n
a state of physical or mental confusion
[C16: perhaps from Middle Dutch moddelen to make muddy]
ˈmuddled adj
ˈmuddledness, ˈmuddlement n
ˈmuddling adj, n
ˈmuddlingly adv
ˈmuddly adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
mud•dle
(ˈmʌd l)v. -dled, -dling,
n. v.t.
1. to mix up in a confused or bungling manner.
2. to cause to become mentally confused.
3. to cause to become confused or stupid with or as if with liquor.
4. to make muddy or turbid, as water.
5. to mix or stir (a drink).
v.i. 6. to think or act in a confused or aimless fashion: muddling along, waiting for a big break.
7. muddle through, to make progress or reach a goal despite lack of knowledge, skill, or direction.
n. 8. the state of being muddled, esp. a confused mental state.
9. a confused or disordered state of affairs; mess.
mud′dler, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
muddle
- To muddle a lemon is to lightly mash slices to release the essential oils.See also related terms for lemon.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
Muddle
a confused collection; a confused assemblage. See also jumble, mess.Examples: muddle of objects, 1865; of paint, 1891.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
muddle
Past participle: muddled
Gerund: muddling
| Imperative |
|---|
| muddle |
| muddle |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  muddle - a confused multitude of things disorderliness, disorder - a condition in which things are not in their expected places; "the files are in complete disorder" rummage - a jumble of things to be given away |
| 2. |  muddle - informal terms for a difficult situation; "he got into a terrible fix"; "he made a muddle of his marriage"difficulty - a condition or state of affairs almost beyond one's ability to deal with and requiring great effort to bear or overcome; "grappling with financial difficulties" dog's breakfast, dog's dinner - a poor job; a mess; "they made a real dog's breakfast of that job" | |
| Verb | 1. | muddle - make into a puddle; "puddled mire" |
| 2. |  muddle - mix up or confuse; "He muddled the issues" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
muddle
noun
1. confusion, mess, disorder, chaos, plight, tangle, mix-up, clutter, disarray, daze, predicament, jumble, ravel, perplexity, disorganization, hotchpotch, hodgepodge (U.S.), pig's breakfast (informal), fankle (Scot.) My thoughts are all in a muddle.
verb
muddle along or through scrape by, make it, manage, cope, get along, get by (informal), manage somehow We will muddle through and just play it day by day.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
muddle
verb1. To put out of proper order:
2. To put into total disorder:
Slang: snafu.
Idiom: play havoc with.
3. To cause to be unclear in mind or intent:
addle, befuddle, bewilder, confound, confuse, discombobulate, dizzy, fuddle, jumble, mix up, mystify, perplex, puzzle.
Informal: throw.
Idiom: make one's head reel.
muddle through
noun
1. A lack of order or regular arrangement:
chaos, clutter, confusedness, confusion, derangement, disarrangement, disarray, disorder, disorderedness, disorderliness, disorganization, jumble, mess, mix-up, muss, scramble, topsy-turviness, tumble.
Slang: snafu.
3. A stunned or bewildered condition:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
إرْتِباك، تَشْويشتَشَوُّشٌيُرْبِك، يُشَوِّش التَّفْكير
nepořádeksmíchatspléstzmatek
virvarforkludreforvirre
sotku
zbrka
ruglaruglingur
混乱状態
뒤죽박죽
jauktijovalynėnesugebantis aiškiai galvotipo truputį stumtissujauktas
juceklisnekārtībasajauktsaputrot
neredzmešatizmešnjavazmesti
röra
ความไม่เป็นระเบียบ
aklını karıştırmakkargaşakarışıklık
tình trạng lộn xộn
muddle
[ˈmʌdl]A. N (untidy) → desorden m, lío m; (= tricky situation) → lío m, follón m (Sp) ; (= mix-up) → confusión f
what a muddle! (looking at mess) → ¡qué desorden!, ¡qué lío!; (situation) → ¡qué lío!, ¡qué follón! (Sp)
there's been a muddle over the seats → ha habido una confusión con las localidades
to be in a muddle [room, books] → estar en desorden, estar revuelto, estar hecho un desbarajuste; [person] → estar confuso, estar hecho un lío
the arrangements are all in a muddle → hay un verdadero lío con los preparativos
to get into a muddle [things] → desordenarse, revolverse; [person] → hacerse un lío
to get sth into a muddle → desordenar algo, revolver algo
what a muddle! (looking at mess) → ¡qué desorden!, ¡qué lío!; (situation) → ¡qué lío!, ¡qué follón! (Sp)
there's been a muddle over the seats → ha habido una confusión con las localidades
to be in a muddle [room, books] → estar en desorden, estar revuelto, estar hecho un desbarajuste; [person] → estar confuso, estar hecho un lío
the arrangements are all in a muddle → hay un verdadero lío con los preparativos
to get into a muddle [things] → desordenarse, revolverse; [person] → hacerse un lío
to get sth into a muddle → desordenar algo, revolver algo
B. VT (also muddle up)
1. (= jumble) [+ photos, papers] → revolver, desordenar
you've muddled (up) all my papers! → ¡has revuelto or desordenado todos mis papeles!
she'd got all the papers muddled (up) → había revuelto todos los papeles
to get muddled (up) [things] → desordenarse, revolverse
you've muddled (up) all my papers! → ¡has revuelto or desordenado todos mis papeles!
she'd got all the papers muddled (up) → había revuelto todos los papeles
to get muddled (up) [things] → desordenarse, revolverse
muddle along VI + ADV → arreglárselas de alguna manera, ir tirando
muddle through VI + ADV → arreglárselas de alguna manera, ir tirando
I expect we shall muddle through → espero que lo logremos de algún modo u otro
I expect we shall muddle through → espero que lo logremos de algún modo u otro
muddle up VT + ADV
1. (= jumble)
see muddle B1
see muddle B1
2. (= confuse) I kept getting my words muddled up → no hacía más que confundirme al hablar
the copies had got muddled up with the original documents → las copias se habían mezclado or confundido con los documentos originales
you're getting me muddled up with the other Julie → me estás confundiendo con la otra Julie
see also muddle B2
the copies had got muddled up with the original documents → las copias se habían mezclado or confundido con los documentos originales
you're getting me muddled up with the other Julie → me estás confundiendo con la otra Julie
see also muddle B2
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
muddle
[ˈmʌdəl] n
(= confused situation) → pagaille f
The whole thing is a muddle → C'est la pagaille la plus complète.
No one could sort out the muddle of her finances → Personne ne parvenait à éclaircir ses finances, c'était la pagaille.
a financial muddle → un imbroglio financier
to be in a muddle [person] → ne plus savoir où l'on en est
I'm in a muddle about the dates → Je ne sais plus où j'en suis avec les dates.
to be in a muddle about how ... → ne plus savoir comment ...
Most of us are in a muddle about what and how to eat → La plupart d'entre nous ne savent plus que manger ni comment manger.
to get in a muddle [person] (= get confused) → s'embrouiller
to get in a muddle about sth → s'embrouiller dans qch
The whole thing is a muddle → C'est la pagaille la plus complète.
No one could sort out the muddle of her finances → Personne ne parvenait à éclaircir ses finances, c'était la pagaille.
a financial muddle → un imbroglio financier
to be in a muddle [person] → ne plus savoir où l'on en est
I'm in a muddle about the dates → Je ne sais plus où j'en suis avec les dates.
to be in a muddle about how ... → ne plus savoir comment ...
Most of us are in a muddle about what and how to eat → La plupart d'entre nous ne savent plus que manger ni comment manger.
to get in a muddle [person] (= get confused) → s'embrouiller
to get in a muddle about sth → s'embrouiller dans qch
vt
(= confuse) → brouiller, embrouiller
muddle along
vi → aller son chemin tant bien que malmuddle through
vi → se débrouillermuddle up
vt sep (= get into a mess) [+ things] → mettre en désordre
(= confuse) [+ names, people] → confondre
to muddle up sb with sb → confondre qn avec qn
He muddles me up with my sister → Il me confond avec ma sœur.
to get muddled up → s'embrouiller
I'm getting muddled up → Je m'embrouille.
to muddle up sth with sth → confondre qch avec qch
to muddle up sb with sb → confondre qn avec qn
He muddles me up with my sister → Il me confond avec ma sœur.
to get muddled up → s'embrouiller
I'm getting muddled up → Je m'embrouille.
to muddle up sth with sth → confondre qch avec qch
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
muddle
n → Durcheinander nt; to get in(to) a muddle (things) → durcheinandergeraten; (person) → konfus werden; to get oneself in(to) a muddle over something → mit etw nicht klarkommen (inf); how did things get into such a muddle? → wie ist denn dieses Durcheinander entstanden?; to be in a muddle → völlig durcheinander sein; this room is (in) a real muddle → in diesem Zimmer herrscht ein einziges Durcheinander; her office was a muddle of files and papers → in ihrem Büro lagen Akten und Papiere wild durcheinander; to make a muddle of something → etw völlig durcheinanderbringen
vt → durcheinanderbringen; two things or people also → verwechseln; (= make confused) person → verwirren, durcheinanderbringen; you’re only muddling the issue → du machst die Sache nur verworrener
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
muddle
[ˈmʌdl]1. n (perplexity) → confusione f; (disorder) → disordine m
to be in a muddle (room, books) → essere in disordine (person) → essere molto confuso/a, non riuscire a raccapezzarsi (plan, arrangements) → essere per aria
to get into a muddle (person, while explaining) → imbrogliarsi, fare confusione (things) → finire sottosopra
there's been a muddle over the seats → è successo un pasticcio con i posti
to be in a muddle (room, books) → essere in disordine (person) → essere molto confuso/a, non riuscire a raccapezzarsi (plan, arrangements) → essere per aria
to get into a muddle (person, while explaining) → imbrogliarsi, fare confusione (things) → finire sottosopra
there's been a muddle over the seats → è successo un pasticcio con i posti
2. vt (also muddle up)
b. (person, story, details) → confondere
muddle along muddle on vi + adv → andare avanti a casaccio
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
muddle
(ˈmadl) verb to confuse or mix up. Don't talk while I'm counting, or you'll muddle me.
noun a state of confusion. These papers keep getting in a muddle.
ˈmuddled adjectivemuddled thinking.
ˈmuddle-headed adjective incapable of clear thinking. Men think that all women are muddle-headed.
muddle along/through to progress in spite of one's unsatisfactory methods and foolish mistakes.
muddle up to confuse (eg two different things). I'm always muddling the twins up; I've muddled up these book orders.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
muddle
→ تَشَوُّشٌ nepořádek virvar Durcheinander ανακατωσούρα enredo sotku pagaille zbrka disordine 混乱状態 뒤죽박죽 verwarring rot zamieszanie desordem путаница röra ความไม่เป็นระเบียบ kargaşa tình trạng lộn xộn 困惑Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009