muddledadj.
/ˈmʌdld/, U.S. /ˈmədəld/ 1. † a. Made muddy or turbid. Obsolete.† b. Of wine: thick. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > liquid > [adjective] > qualities of liquid > cloudy or opaque > specific muddy or turbid
druvya1300
drublya1340
oozya1398
feculent1471
troublous1495
mudlya1500
drumlya1522
troublish?1527
puddled1559
puddly1559
suddy1587
muddy1590
droumy1605
muddled1624
turbid1626
turbidous1628
puddlish1633
muddied1642
scuddy1797
roily1823
blundered1855
jumbly1864
mudded1898
1624 F. Quarles Iob Militant vi. medit. xv From muddled Springs can Christall Waters come?
a1657 G. Daniel Poems (1878) II. 2 I dare not..Soe much derogate from that clear Source, as borrow water from the muddled Cisternes of her Inferiour.
1801 S. Owenson Poems 73 Glad see I muddled streamlet stray.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > wine > qualities or characteristics of wine > [adjective] > thick
muddled1717
1717 M. Prior Alma iii. 589 We shall..Drink fine Champaigne, or muddl'd Port.
a1748 C. Pitt Poet. Wks. (1782) 37 Beer at noon and muddled port at night!
1752 W. Law Spirit of Love (1816) i. 16 The muddled wine always works right to the utmost of its power.
c. Of colour: not clear; clouded.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > quality of colour > [adjective] > impure or unclear
suddy1587
muddy1600
muddish1658
muddled1828
muddyish1853
impure1860
1828 J. Armstrong Morbid Anat. Bowels, Liver, & Stomach 68 A dull muddled white, almost resembling that of common tallow or painters' putty.
1852 Househ. Words 16 Oct. 103/2 Muddled mezzotinto plates in shabby black frames.
1987 A. Theroux Adultery 32 I spent a few days alone..leaving in my sketchbook some muddled half-finishes in diluted ink.
2. Confused in mind, befuddled; disorganized, disordered.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > inattention > mental wandering > [adjective]
bemazed?c1225
madc1300
maskedc1300
marreda1375
astoniedc1386
adasedc1450
astonished1513
moping1566
bewandered1574
dizzy1579
westy1598
night-wildered1652
disconcerted1686
muzzy1723
flustered1743
bewildered1760
flurried1775
muddled1790
thought-bewildered1796
bedazzled1805
muggy1824
mused1842
moony1847
beflustered1864
bemused1880
snarled1881
bedazed1882
bemuddled1883
disoriented1957
disorientated1959
wifty1973
the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > weakness of intellect > confusion, muddle-headedness > [adjective]
redelessOE
mopishc1300
tottedc1500
addle1534
muddy?1571
addle1576
foggya1591
foggy-brained1594
addled1599
addle-headed1600
bezzled1604
addle-pated1614
addle-brained1619
buzzle-headeda1644
puzzle-headed1729
puzzle-pated1736
muddle-headed1760
ramble-headeda1761
hulver-headed1785
ramfeezled1786
muddled1790
hoddy-doddya1798
muzzy-headed1798
bother-headed1820
muddle-pated1823
pixilated1848
woolly1864
bungle-headed1865
mixed1880
muddlesome1887
wifty1918
woozy1941
spastic1981
1790 M. O. Warren Poems 237 Witlings may sport at every truth The sacred page contains, And academic fools dispute With mazy, muddled brains.
1854 B. Taylor Let. 20 Sept. in Life & Letters (1884) I. xii. 287 I write with a muddled head and a languid pen.
1891 W. Morris News from Nowhere vii. 45 I have read a muddled account in a book.., of a fight which took place here in or about the year 1887.
1907 G. B. Shaw John Bull's Other Island Pref. p. xv Push the political and military figureheads of England through bungled enterprises to a muddled success.
1929 H. Crane Let. 6 Sept. (1965) 345 You can get some idea of what I'm accomplishing by the muddled copy I'm including herewith.
1978 E. Blishen Sorry, Dad iv. iii. 172 The Major was a large, muddled man, who was always wrong about the date, the venue, the order and nature of the cases.
1997 CPRE Voice Spring 9/1 The thinking behind many road improvements seems to be muddled.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2003; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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adj.1624