1. To make turbid, or muddy, as water. [Obs.]
He did ill to muddle the water.
L'Estrange. 2. To cloud or stupefy; to render stupid with liquor; to intoxicate partially.
Epicurus seems to have had brains so muddled and confounded, that he scarce ever kept in the right
way.
Bentley.
Often drunk, always muddled.
Arbuthnot. 3. To waste or misuse, as one does who is stupid or intoxicated. [R.]
They muddle it [money] away without method or object, and without having anything to show for it.
Hazlitt. 4. To mix confusedly; to confuse; to make a mess of; as, to muddle matters; also, to perplex; to mystify.
F. W. Newman.
Muddle
(Mud"dle), v. i.
1. To dabble in mud. [Obs.] Swift.
2. To think and act in a confused, aimless way.
Muddle
(Mud"dle), n. A state of being turbid or confused; hence, intellectual cloudiness or dullness.
We both grub on in a muddle.
Dickens. Muddlehead
(Mud"dle*head`) n. A stupid person. [Colloq.] C. Reade. — Mud"dle-head`ed, a. [Colloq.]
Dickens.
Muddler
(Mud"dler) n. One who, or that which, muddles.
Muddy
(Mud"dy) a. [Compar. Muddier ; superl. Muddiest.]
1. Abounding in mud; besmeared or dashed with mud; as, a muddy road or path; muddy boots.
2. Turbid with mud; as, muddy water.
3. Consisting of mud or earth; gross; impure.
This muddy vesture of decay.
Shak. 4. Confused, as if turbid with mud; cloudy in mind; dull; stupid; also, immethodical; incoherent; vague.
Cold hearts and muddy understandings.
Burke.
Dost think I am so muddy, so unsettled.
Shak. 5. Not clear or bright. Swift.
Muddy
(Mud"dy), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Muddied ; p. pr. & vb. n. Muddying ]
1. To soil with mud; to dirty; to render turbid.
2. Fig.: To cloud; to make dull or heavy. Grew.
Muddy-headed
(Mud"dy-head`ed) a. Dull; stupid.
