muddle
/ˈmʌd.əl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmʌd.əl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmə-dᵊl/ (ame, mw) · /ˈmʌdl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmʌdl/ (ame, ipa)
muddle — noun
1. a situation where things are in disorder or arranged untidily, so it is difficul
a situation where things are in disorder or arranged untidily, so it is difficult to use, find, or understand them
Esme's tax papers were in a complete muddle on the kitchen table.
in a muddle for disordered things
After the move, the boxes of books had become a real muddle in the spare room.
become a muddle for piling up over time
The filing cabinet was such a muddle that Eli could not find last year's invoices.
Daichi sorted out the muddle of cables behind the television.
- order
tidy arrangement
文法句型
in a muddle
get into a muddle
用法筆記
Subject is usually concrete objects or papers, not abstract concepts. Often appears with 'in a' or 'into a', describing the physical state of items rather than someone's mental state — that is sense 2.
常見錯誤
2. a state of being confused in your thinking, especially when you mix up separate
a state of being confused in your thinking, especially when you mix up separate facts or details in your head
Christopher always gets into a muddle when he tries to count the change in euros.
get into a muddle over numbers / unfamiliar systems
Nila was in such a muddle about the train times that she went to the wrong station.
in a muddle about for confusion over schedules
Andrés got into a muddle over which patient was due for which medicine.
Mira realised halfway through her speech that she was in a muddle about the dates of the war.
- clarity
clear understanding
文法句型
get into a muddle about/over
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: here the muddle is inside the person's mind, not in the physical world. Usually paired with 'about' or 'over' followed by the topic of confusion.
muddle — verb
- muddlepresent simple I / you / we / they
- muddleshe / she / it
- muddledpast simple
- muddling-ing form
1. to present an issue, argument, or set of facts in a way that makes it harder to
to present an issue, argument, or set of facts in a way that makes it harder to understand rather than clearer
Dario kept interrupting the lawyer, which only muddled the main point of the case.
muddle + the point for clouding an argument
The new map muddled the directions to the village instead of making them simpler.
Élise's long introduction muddled the question the audience had come to hear answered.
Adding too many examples can muddle a clear definition.
- clarify
make something clearer
文法句型
muddle + noun (issue/argument/facts)
用法筆記
Object is usually an abstract noun like 'issue', 'argument', 'point', or 'directions'. Distinguish from sense 2, where the object is a person whose mind becomes confused.
常見錯誤
2. to make a person unable to think clearly, usually by giving them too much inform
to make a person unable to think clearly, usually by giving them too much information at once or contradicting yourself
All the new staff names muddled Rachid on his first morning at the hospital.
The salesman's rapid talk completely muddled Lan when she tried to choose a phone plan.
muddle + person + when for cause of confusion
Don't muddle the children with three sets of instructions before bedtime.
Two glasses of wine had muddled Mark, and he repeated the same story twice.
- guide
help someone understand
文法句型
muddle + person
用法筆記
Object is always a person (or group of people). Distinguish from sense 1 where the object is an abstract idea. Frequently appears in negative imperatives — 'don't muddle me' is a common spoken phrase.
3. to arrange items wrongly, putting one where another should go, or to mistake one
to arrange items wrongly, putting one where another should go, or to mistake one thing for another because of how similar they look or sound
Lauren muddled the twins' birthday cards and gave Sofia's to Lucia.
muddle + plural noun for mixing items between people
Rafael warned the new student not to muddle the test tubes before the chemistry experiment.
Mei always muddles the Spanish words for 'bread' and 'meat' when she orders.
The librarian had muddled the children's books with the cookery section.
- sort
put items in correct groups
文法句型
muddle + plural noun
muddle A and B / muddle A with B
muddle + noun + up
用法筆記
Object is usually a plural noun or two items joined by 'and' or 'with'. Often refers to items that are externally similar (twins, test tubes, words). Distinguish from sense 1 (the muddled thing is abstract) and sense 2 (the muddled thing is a person).
常見錯誤
4. in cocktail making, to press fruit, herbs, or sugar gently against the bottom of
in cocktail making, to press fruit, herbs, or sugar gently against the bottom of a glass to release their flavour and oils into the drink
The bartender muddled fresh mint leaves at the bottom of the glass before adding the rum.
muddle + fruit/herb noun in cocktail context
Mert muddled half a lime with brown sugar to make a caipirinha for the guests.
Press, do not pound, when you muddle the strawberries — the seeds turn bitter if crushed.
Mayumi muddled the basil leaves with a wooden stick to bring out the oils.
文法句型
muddle + fruit/herb noun
用法筆記
Strictly used in the context of drink preparation. Object is fruit, herbs, or sugar. The action is a gentle press, not a hard pounding — that nuance is part of the bartending sense.