muddle

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mud·dle

(mŭd′l)

v. mud·dled, mud·dling, mud·dles

v.tr.

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.

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.

To think, act, or proceed in a confused or aimless manner: muddled along through my high-school years.

1. A disordered condition; a mess or jumble.

2. A state of mental confusion.

3. See muddler.

Phrasal Verb:

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)

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.

8. the state of being muddled, esp. a confused mental state.

9. a confused or disordered state of affairs; mess.

[1540–50; mud + -le]

mud′dler, n.

muddle

- To muddle a lemon is to lightly mash slices to release the essential oils.

Muddle

a confused collection; a confused assemblage. See also jumble, mess.

Examples: muddle of objects, 1865; of paint, 1891.

muddle

Past participle: muddled
Gerund: muddling

Imperative
muddle
muddle

Present
I muddle
you muddle
he/she/it muddles
we muddle
you muddle
they muddle

Preterite
I muddled
you muddled
he/she/it muddled
we muddled
you muddled
they muddled

Present Continuous
I am muddling
you are muddling
he/she/it is muddling
we are muddling
you are muddling
they are muddling

Present Perfect
I have muddled
you have muddled
he/she/it has muddled
we have muddled
you have muddled
they have muddled

Past Continuous
I was muddling
you were muddling
he/she/it was muddling
we were muddling
you were muddling
they were muddling

Past Perfect
I had muddled
you had muddled
he/she/it had muddled
we had muddled
you had muddled
they had muddled

Future
I will muddle
you will muddle
he/she/it will muddle
we will muddle
you will muddle
they will muddle

Future Perfect
I will have muddled
you will have muddled
he/she/it will have muddled
we will have muddled
you will have muddled
they will have muddled

Future Continuous
I will be muddling
you will be muddling
he/she/it will be muddling
we will be muddling
you will be muddling
they will be muddling

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been muddling
you have been muddling
he/she/it has been muddling
we have been muddling
you have been muddling
they have been muddling

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been muddling
you will have been muddling
he/she/it will have been muddling
we will have been muddling
you will have been muddling
they will have been muddling

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been muddling
you had been muddling
he/she/it had been muddling
we had been muddling
you had been muddling
they had been muddling

Conditional
I would muddle
you would muddle
he/she/it would muddle
we would muddle
you would muddle
they would muddle

Past Conditional
I would have muddled
you would have muddled
he/she/it would have muddled
we would have muddled
you would have muddled
they would have muddled

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	muddle - a confused multitude of things clutter, fuddle, jumble, mare's nest, smother, welter 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" fix, kettle of fish, mess, pickle, jam, hole 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" puddle rile, roil - make turbid by stirring up the sediments of
	2.	muddle - mix up or confuse; "He muddled the issues" addle, puddle mix up, jumble, confuse - assemble without order or sense; "She jumbles the words when she is supposed to write a sentence"

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

1. jumble, confuse, disorder, scramble, tangle, mix up, make a mess of Already some people have begun to muddle the two names.

2. confuse, bewilder, daze, confound, perplex, disorient, stupefy, befuddle She felt muddled, and a wave of dizziness swept over her.

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

verb

1. To put out of proper order:

derange, disarrange, disarray, disorder, disorganize, disrupt, disturb, jumble, mess up, mix up, tumble, unsettle, upset.

2. To put into total disorder:

ball up, confuse, disorder, jumble, mess up, scramble, snarl.

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.

4. To harm irreparably through inept handling; make a mess:

ball up, blunder, boggle, botch, bungle, foul up, fumble, gum up, mess up, mishandle, mismanage, muff, spoil.

Informal: bollix up, muck up.

Slang: blow, goof up, louse up, screw up, snafu.

Idiom: make a muck of.

5. To proceed or perform in an unsteady, faltering manner:

blunder, bumble, bungle, flounder, fudge, fumble, limp, shuffle, stagger, stumble.

phrasal verb
muddle through

To progress or perform adequately, especially in difficult circumstances:

do, fare, fend, get along, get by, manage, shift.

Informal: make out.

Idioms: make do, make shift.

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.

2. A ruinous state of disorder:

botch, foul-up, mess, shambles.

Informal: hash.

Slang: screwup, snafu.

3. A stunned or bewildered condition:

befuddlement, bewilderedness, bewilderment, daze, discombobulation, fog, mystification, perplexity, puzzlement, stupefaction, stupor, trance.

Translations

إرْتِباك، تَشْويشتَشَوُّشٌيُرْبِك، يُشَوِّش التَّفْكير

nepořádeksmíchatspléstzmatek

virvarforkludreforvirre

Durcheinander durcheinanderbringen Kuddelmuddel Schlamassel

ανακατωσούρα

enredo

sotku

embrouillamini embrouiller fouillis pagaille

zbrka

ruglaruglingur

disordine far confusione confondere confusione creare disordine fra

混乱状態

뒤죽박죽

jauktijovalynėnesugebantis aiškiai galvotipo truputį stumtissujauktas

juceklisnekārtībasajauktsaputrot

neredzmešatizmešnjavazmesti

röra

ความไม่เป็นระเบียบ

aklını karıştırmakkargaşa karışıklık

tình trạng lộn xộn

使混乱使糊涂困惑混乱

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

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

2. (= confuse) [+ person, details] → confundir
to get muddled (up) [person] → confundirse, hacerse un lío, liarse
see also muddle up

muddle along VI + ADV → arreglárselas de alguna manera, ir tirando

muddle on VI → hacer las cosas al tuntún

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

muddle up VT + ADV

1. (= jumble)
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

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

[ˈmʌd^əl]

(= 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

(= disorder) → désordre m, fouillis m
to be in a muddle [things] → être en désordre
The photos are in a muddle → Les photos sont en désordre.
My notes have got in a muddle → Mes notes sont en désordre.

(= confuse) → brouiller, embrouiller

muddle along

vi → aller son chemin tant bien que mal

muddle through

vi → se débrouiller

muddle 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

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

2. vt (also muddle up)

a. (papers) → mettere sottosopra
you've muddled up A and B → hai confuso A con B

b. (person, story, details) → confondere

muddle along muddle on vi + adv → andare avanti a casaccio

muddle through vi + adv → cavarsela alla meno peggio

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 adjective

muddled 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.

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

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

It's all those damned Germans' muddling! What stupid devils!"

View in context

As one looks at the patchwork quilt that the region around us resembles, one cannot but have the queasy feeling that the only answer to the problems faced by all states therein may well lie in somehow mastering the coarse art of muddling through.

Art of muddling through!

We have to great British muddling if we don't where muddling They won't do it.

'We're staring over abyss into unknown'

Having seen the shenanigans of some of our political luminaries over the recent past, one has little hesitation in admitting that one had underestimated their expertise in the age old game of muddling through.

The coarse art of muddling through!

The most interesting theme repeated throughout is the importance of "muddling through." Rather than avoiding foreign-policy ramifications, to muddle through, as the author defines, means that the president and his advisors carefully consider each action and work to a positive resolution through incremental steps.

Presidents in Crisis; Tough Decisions inside the White House from Truman to Obama

My opposition to 'muddling' views BARBARA Dunn accuses me of a hate crime for my criticism of Christianity (Letters, April 15).

My opposition to 'muddling' views

Wales is not likely to follow a similar path any time soon and therefore our health minister has the choice of muddling on or taking some tough decisions.

Urgent need for health changes; YOUR LETTERS TO THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF WALES

"After all," the duo explained, "each is suffused with the soul of its architect, builders, inhabitants, and even the passersby who happened to cast an absentminded glance its way." Their project, notable for its inevitable juxtaposition of all forms of architecture and its muddling of high and low, prevailing ideologies, and historical distinctions, also acts as a helpful prologue to the recent sculptural work of Valery Koshlyakov, whose architectural investigations into the strata of cultural memory--and, at the same time, the transience of its "built" expression--seem almost to literalize Brodsky and Utkin's "paper architecture."

Valery Koshlyakov: Marble Palace

Trainer Michael Bell believes the 'muddling pace' in Saturday's Coral-Eclipse Stakes could have been responsible for Motivator suffering his first defeat.

RACING: Slow pace scuppered Motivator, claims Bell

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