addle

UK: /ˈæd^əl/ US: /ˈædəl/ ,(ad′l)

Inflections of 'addle' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

addles

v 3rd person singular

addling

v pres p

addled

v past

addled

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ad•dle /ˈædəl/   v., -dled, -dling. 

1. to make confused:
   [~ + object] a brain addled by drugs.
2. [no object] to become rotten, as eggs.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ad•dle  (ad′l), v., -dled, -dling, adj. 
v.t., v.i. 

1. to make or become confused.
2. to make or become rotten, as eggs.

adj. 

3. mentally confused;
   muddled.
4. rotten:
   addle eggs.

• bef. 1000; Middle English adel rotten, Old English adela liquid, filth; cognate with Middle Low German adele liquid manure

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

addle / ˈæd^əl/ verb

1. to make or become confused or muddled
2. to make or become rotten

adjective

1. (in combination) indicating a confused or muddled state: addle-brained, addle-pated

Etymology: 18th Century: (vb), back formation from addled, from c13 addle rotten, from Old English adela filth; related to dialect German Addel liquid manure