Antonyms for addle

Grammar : Verb

Spell : ad-l

Phonetic Transcription : ˈæd l

Definition of addle

Origin : 1712, from addle (n.) "urine, liquid filth," from Old English adela "mud, mire, liquid manure" (cognate with Old Swedish adel "urine," Middle Low German adel, Dutch aal "puddle").
Used in noun phrase addle egg (mid-13c.) "egg that does not hatch, rotten egg," literally "urine egg," a loan-translation of Latin ovum urinum, which is itself an erroneous loan-translation of Greek ourion oon "putrid egg," literally "wind egg," from ourios "of the wind" (confused by Roman writers with ourios "of urine," from ouron "urine"). Because of this usage, from c.1600 the noun in English was taken as an adjective meaning "putrid," and thence given a figurative extension to "empty, vain, idle," also "confused, muddled, unsound" (1706). The verb followed a like course. Related: Addled; addling.

verb confuse

Example sentences :

My head, too, is as addle as an egg this morning, with dining abroad yesterday.
Extract from : « The Letters of Robert Burns » by Robert Burns

The fumes of the wine were mounting steadily to addle his indifferent brains.
Extract from : « The Snare » by Rafael Sabatini

My strong ale must have got into your addle pate with a vengeance.
Extract from : « Windsor Castle » by William Harrison Ainsworth

One drink will addle a person's wits and the second will act as an antidote.
Extract from : « Death Makes A Mistake » by P.F. Costello

"Don't sit on them with your head downward, or you'll addle them," said Mr. Brush, fiercely.
Extract from : « Peg Woffington » by Charles Reade

And ever since he had been repeating to himself, “What do they addle?”
Extract from : « A Month in Yorkshire » by Walter White

I'm not behowden to ye for mich, as how 'tis—I reckon I addle my mate.
Extract from : « North, South and Over the Sea » by M.E. Francis (Mrs. Francis Blundell)

As the sayin' is: 'The tongue of a woman, at last it biteth like a serpent an' it stingeth like an addle,' an' I guess it's so.
Extract from : « Chip, of the Flying U » by B. M. Bower

Thy head is as full of quarrels as an egg is full of meat, and yet thy head hath been beaten as addle as an egg for quarrelling.
Extract from : « Shakespeare's Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet » by William Shakespeare

Party debate will addle your pate, ex-parte "facts" bring dizziness.
Extract from : « Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 105 December 23rd, 1893 » by Various

Synonyms for addle

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019