Addles

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈæd.əlz/

Definitions

1. To confuse or muddle; to mix things up in a way that causes disorientation ; to make unclear or perplexing, often in an overly complicated manner
2. To disturb the normal state or clarity of something, leading to confusion or uncertainty ; to throw into a state of disarray or chaos, particularly in thought or action
3. To create mental fuzziness or bog down understanding by injecting complications ; to disrupt reasoning or clear thought processes with convoluted ideas or situations

Etymology: Addles is simply the third-person singular present of the verb "addle," so the story belongs to that verb. Its oldest sense is startlingly physical: Old English "adel" meant mire, puddle or liquid excrement, and it was closely tied to animal waste used as manure. Words for cattle urine and liquid dung appear across the Germanic languages, from Scots and Frisian to Dutch and Danish, all descending from a common Proto-Germanic root. The verb developed from a separate source. Middle English "addlen" likely came from Old Norse "ǫðlask," meaning to gain possession of property, which was built on "ōðal," meaning ownership or inherited estate. The two strands merged in English, and the sense of rotting or spoiling, first applied to eggs and then extended to the mind, produced the modern meaning of muddling or confusing thinking.

Synonyms: confuses, muddles, bewilders, perplexes, baffles

Antonyms: clarifies, simplifies, enlightens, explains, informs