muddle C2+ Topic:Space, Position & Direction US /ˈmʌdəl/ UK /ˈmʌdəl/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 verb to confuse or mix up; a state of disorder or confusion He muddled the dates and missed the appointment. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to confuse or mix up; a... confusejumblemixbefuddledisordertangle ↔ Opposites organizeclarifyorderarrange Word family Derived forms muddledmuddlermuddling Related forms mudmuddy Etymology AI details From Middle Dutch moddelen ('to make muddy'), frequentative of modden ('to dabble in mud'), related to mud; the sense 'confuse' developed in the 17th century. moddelen Middle Dutch View etymology graph -> Topics Space, Position & Direction External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # muddle **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /ˈmʌdəl/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈmʌdəl/ ## Meanings 1. to confuse or mix up; a state of disorder or confusion ## Examples - He muddled the dates and missed the appointment. ## Synonyms - confuse - jumble - mix - befuddle - disorder - tangle ## Antonyms - organize - clarify - order - arrange ## Derived Forms - muddled - muddler - muddling ## Related Forms - mud - muddy ## Roots and Affixes - Root: moddelen ## Etymology From Middle Dutch moddelen ('to make muddy'), frequentative of modden ('to dabble in mud'), related to mud; the sense 'confuse' developed in the 17th century. ## AI Etymology Muddle comes from Middle Dutch moddelen ('to make muddy'), frequentative of modden ('to dabble in mud'), related to mud; the sense 'confuse' developed in the 17th century. The historical trail runs through Middle Dutch moddelen. The later sense follows a semantic development already present in the word's history. In modern use it means to confuse or mix up; a state of disorder or confusion. Derived formations include muddled, muddler, muddling; related forms include mud, muddy. ## Topics - Space, Position & Direction markdown