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muddle

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Muddle is defined as to mix up, confuse or think in a confused way, or to mix up a drink.

(verb)

An example of muddle is to mix up a bunch of students' papers.
An example of muddle is yo smash mint in a glass in order to prepare a mohito cocktail.

The definition of a muddle is a confusion.

(noun)

An example of a muddle is a switching of a group of students' exams.

See muddle in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb muddled, muddling

to mix up in a confused manner; jumble; bungle
to mix or stir (a drink, etc.)
to make (water, etc.) turbid
to confuse mentally; befuddle, as with alcoholic liquor
to confuse (the brain, mind, etc.); befog

Origin: < mud + -le

intransitive verb

to act or think in a confused way

noun

a confused or disordered condition; mess, jumble, etc.
mental confusion

See muddle in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb mud·dled, mud·dling, mud·dles

verb, transitive

To make turbid or muddy.
To mix confusedly; jumble.
To confuse or befuddle (the mind), as with alcohol. See Synonyms at confuse.
To mismanage or bungle.
To stir or mix (a drink) gently.

verb, intransitive

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

noun

A disordered condition; a mess or jumble.
Mental confusion.

Phrasal Verb: muddle through To push on to a favorable outcome in a disorganized way.

Origin:

Origin: Possibly from obsolete Dutch moddelen, to make water muddy

Origin: , from Middle Dutch

Origin: , frequentative of *modden, to make muddy

Origin: , from modde, mud

Related Forms:

mudˈdler noun

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