muddle

muddle
1 noun (countable usually singular)
1 a state of confusion or untidiness, that results in things being done wrong: There was a bit of a muddle over our reservations. | We had to get an accountant in to sort out the muddle.
2 be in a muddle
a) to be in an untidy and confused state: The papers were all in a muddle.
b) to be confused because you have too much to do: I'm in such a muddle, I'd completely forgotten you were coming today.
 2 verb also muddle up (T) especially BrE
1 to put something in the wrong order or mix something up: Someone's muddled up all the papers on my desk. | Your invoice got muddled up with Mr Clark's.
2 get muddled (up) to get confused between one thing or person and another, and make a mistake: Sorry, I got a bit muddled up over the dates. | get sb/sth muddled (up): I'm not quite sure of their ages, I get them muddled up.
— muddled adjective: muddled thinking — muddling adjective muddle along/on phrasal verb (I) BrE to continue doing something without having any clear plan: We just seem to muddle along but never make any real progress. muddle through phrasal verb (I) especially BrE to achieve something even though you do not have a clear plan or use the best methods or equipment: Jack got some difficult questions but he managed to muddle through.

Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • muddle on — ˌmuddle a ˈlong ˌmuddle ˈon [intransitive] [present tense I/you/we/they muddle along he/she/it muddles along …   Useful english dictionary

  • Muddle — Mud dle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Muddled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Muddling}.] [From {Mud}.] 1. To make turbid, or muddy, as water. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] He did ill to muddle the water. L Estrange. [1913 Webster] 2. To cloud or stupefy; to render stupid… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • muddle up — ˌmuddle ˈup [transitive] [present tense I/you/we/they muddle up he/she/it muddles up present participle muddling up past tense …   Useful english dictionary

  • muddle — ► VERB 1) bring into a disordered or confusing state. 2) confuse or perplex (someone). 3) (muddle up) confuse (two or more things) with each other. 4) (muddle along/through) cope more or less satisfactorily. ► NOUN ▪ a mudd …   English terms dictionary

  • Muddle — Mud dle, n. A state of being turbid or confused; hence, intellectual cloudiness or dullness. [1913 Webster] We both grub on in a muddle. Dickens. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Muddle — may refer to: Mr. Muddle, one of the Mr. Men from the children s book series by Richard Hargreaves MDL (programming language), the Lisp derived language that Zork was first written in MUDDL, a programming language originally created for the first …   Wikipedia

  • muddle# — muddle vb *confuse, addle, fuddle, befuddle Analogous words: *puzzle, perplex, mystify, bewilder, distract, nonplus, confound, dumbfound: faze, rattle, discomfit, *embarrass: fluster, flurry, upset, agitate, *discompose Antonyms: enlighten muddle …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • muddle — [n] confused state ataxia, awkwardness, botch, chaos, clutter, complexity, complication, confusion, daze, difficulty, dilemma, disarrangement, disarray, disorder, disorganization, emergency, encumbrance, fog, foul up*, hash, haze, intricacy,… …   New thesaurus

  • muddle — [mud′ l] vt. muddled, muddling [< MUD + LE] 1. to mix up in a confused manner; jumble; bungle 2. to mix or stir (a drink, etc.) 3. to make (water, etc.) turbid 4. to confuse mentally; befuddle, as with alcoholic liquor …   English World dictionary

  • Muddle — Mud dle, v. i. 1. To dabble in mud. [Obs.] Swift. [1913 Webster] 2. To think and act in a confused, aimless way. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • muddle — I verb addle, baffle, becloud, befog, befuddle, bewilder, botch, bungle, cloud, complicate, confound, confundere, confuse, daze, derange, disarrange, discompose, disconcert, disorder, disorganize, disturb, embrangle, entangle, fluster, fog,… …   Law dictionary

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