←

muddle

verb
🔊/ˈmʌdl/
🔊/ˈmʌdl/
(especially British English)
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they muddle
🔊/ˈmʌdl/
🔊/ˈmʌdl/
he / she / it muddles
🔊/ˈmʌdlz/
🔊/ˈmʌdlz/
past simple muddled
🔊/ˈmʌdld/
🔊/ˈmʌdld/
past participle muddled
🔊/ˈmʌdld/
🔊/ˈmʌdld/
-ing form muddling
🔊/ˈmʌdlɪŋ/
🔊/ˈmʌdlɪŋ/
Phrasal Verbs
jump to other results
  1. to put things in the wrong order or mix them up弄乱；搅混
    • muddle something Don't do that—you're muddling my papers.别动，你会弄乱我的文件的。🔊🔊
    • muddle something up Their letters were all muddled up together in a drawer.他们的信都乱七八糟地放在一个抽屉里。🔊🔊
    • All the cups and saucers have been muddled up.所有的杯子和碟子都弄糊了。
  2. muddle somebody (up) to confuse somebody使困惑；使糊涂
    • Slow down a little—you're muddling me.说慢点儿，你都把我搞糊涂了。🔊🔊
  3. muddle somebody/something (up) | muddle A (up) with B to confuse one person or thing with another混淆；搅混；分不清 synonym mix up
    • I muddled the dates and arrived a week early.我搞错了日期，早到了一个星期。🔊🔊
    • He got all muddled up about what went where.他对什么东西放在哪里全然记不清了。🔊🔊
    • They look so alike, I always get them muddled up.他们看上去那么像，我总是把他们给搞混了。🔊🔊
    4. Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘wallow in mud’): perhaps from Middle Dutch moddelen, frequentative of modden ‘dabble in mud’; compare with mud. The sense ‘confuse’ was initially associated with alcoholic drink (late 17th cent.), giving rise to ‘busy oneself in a confused way’ and ‘jumble up’ (mid 19th cent.).

muddle

noun
🔊/ˈmʌdl/
🔊/ˈmʌdl/
(especially British English)
jump to other results
  1. [countable, usually singular] a state in which it is difficult to think clearly糊涂；困惑；茫然
    • in a muddle Can you start from the beginning again—I'm in a muddle.请你从头再来一遍吧，我还是搞不清楚。🔊🔊
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • awful
    • embarrassing
    • bureaucratic
    • …
    verb + muddle
    • get (somebody) in
    • get (somebody) into
    • make
    • …
    preposition
    • in a muddle
    • muddle about
    • muddle over
    • …
    See full entry
  2. [countable, usually singular, uncountable] muddle (about/over something) a situation in which there is a lack of understanding about arrangements, etc. and things are done wrong（局面）一团糟，混乱
    • There was a muddle over the theatre tickets.戏票问题搞得一团糟。🔊🔊
    • There followed a long period of confusion and muddle.接下来是很长一段时间的困惑和混乱。🔊🔊
    Extra Examples
    • The judge made a muddle of the case.法官把案子弄得一团糟。
    • There was a bureaucratic muddle over his appointment.他的任命引发了官僚系统的一片混乱。
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • awful
    • embarrassing
    • bureaucratic
    • …
    verb + muddle
    • get (somebody) in
    • get (somebody) into
    • make
    • …
    preposition
    • in a muddle
    • muddle about
    • muddle over
    • …
    See full entry
  3. [countable, usually singular, uncountable] a state in which things are untidy and not in order 混乱；乱七八糟synonym mess
    • in a muddle My papers are all in a muddle.我的文件混乱不堪。🔊🔊
    Extra Examples
    • My desk was the usual muddle of books, files and papers.我的桌子上像往常一样胡乱地堆满了书籍、卷宗和文件。
    • He picked up a dirty glass, part of the muddle on the mantelpiece.他拿起一块肮脏的玻璃杯，这是壁炉架上混乱的一部分。
    • Don't just throw your tools into the shed in a muddle.不要只是将您的工具弄得一团糟。
    • The house was in an awful muddle by the time the children left.孩子们离开时，房子里凌乱不堪。
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • awful
    • embarrassing
    • bureaucratic
    • …
    verb + muddle
    • get (somebody) in
    • get (somebody) into
    • make
    • …
    preposition
    • in a muddle
    • muddle about
    • muddle over
    • …
    See full entry
    4. Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘wallow in mud’): perhaps from Middle Dutch moddelen, frequentative of modden ‘dabble in mud’; compare with mud. The sense ‘confuse’ was initially associated with alcoholic drink (late 17th cent.), giving rise to ‘busy oneself in a confused way’ and ‘jumble up’ (mid 19th cent.).