muddle

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++mud·dle1 /ˈmʌdl/ noun  1  be in a muddle/get into a muddle British English a) CONFUSEDto be confused 困惑，糊涂 I’m in such a muddle, I’d completely forgotten you were coming today. 我真糊涂透了，我完全忘了你今天要来。be in a muddle/get into a muddle over/about My grandmother tends to get into a muddle over names. 我祖母总是记不清名字。 b) CONFUSEDto be untidy or in a disorganized state 处于混乱状态，凌乱不堪 Sorry about the mess – we’re in a bit of a muddle at the moment. 很抱歉这么乱——我们现在有点乱糟糟的。 All my files have got into a muddle somehow. 我的所有文件都混起来了。2  CONFUSED[countable usually singular, uncountable] when there is confusion about something, and things are done wrong as a result 混乱 Our accountant finally managed to sort out the muddle. 我们的会计终于把混乱的账目理清了。muddle over/about There was a bit of a muddle over our hotel reservations. 我们的酒店预订有点混乱。

Examples from the Corpus

muddle• Unless, of course, there had been a muddle in the names.• Gerald Ford getting into a muddle about what was and wasn't a Warsaw Pact country.• It is too valuable a document of human heartbreak and muddle to be scorned or dismissed.• Over the years the generations had gotten into a chronological muddle.• She could sense his muddle, and it touched her.• a legal muddle• Nevertheless, if we allow ourselves to be swayed by every fashion that comes along, we live in a perpetual muddle.• This book assesses the technological fix for the muddle left by downsizing and reengineering.• None of the muddle in her room mattered.muddle over/about• Gerald Ford getting into a muddle about what was and wasn't a Warsaw Pact country.• There was a muddle about his origins, wasn't there?• You can see why it is easy to be muddled about carbohydrate.• Was it muddled over the association between money wage changes and real wage changes?muddle2 (also muddle up) verb [transitive] especially British English  1  CONFUSEDto put things in the wrong order 弄乱，弄混 Someone’s muddled up all the papers on my desk. 有人把我桌上的文件全都弄乱了。 The government seems to have lost its way and muddled its priorities. 政府似乎迷失了方向，分不清轻重缓急。2  to confuse one person or thing with another, and make a mistake 混淆，分不清 SYN mix up The twins are so alike that it’s easy to muddle them up. 这对双胞胎看上去太像了，很容易弄混。 Spanish and Italian are very similar and I sometimes get them muddled up. 西班牙语和意大利语很相似，我有时会把它们弄混。muddle something with something Be careful not to muddle the files you’ve already worked on with the others. 小心不要把你已经处理过的文件和其他文件弄混了。3  CONFUSEDto confuse someone, especially so that they make a mistake 使困惑；使糊涂 Don’t muddle her with all the extra details at the moment. 现在不要用这么多额外的细节把她搞糊涂了。 Could you just repeat those figures – I’ve got a bit muddled up. 你能重复一下那些数据吗——我有点糊涂了。4 muddle along/on phrasal verb CONTINUE/NOT STOPto continue doing something without having any clear plan or purpose, or without having enough help or support 混日子，得过且过；胡乱地干下去 There’s no point in muddling on in the same old job forever. 老在同一份工作上混下去没意思。 Many of the students complained that they were left to muddle along on their own. 有许多学生抱怨没人管他们，随他们自己得过且过。5 muddle through (something) phrasal verb especially British English SUCCEED IN DOING somethingto succeed in doing something with difficulty, or not in a very satisfactory way 胡乱应付过去 There were some difficult questions but I managed to muddle through. 有几个难缠的问题，但我都支吾过去了。 The team managed to muddle through another season. 该球队又混过了一个赛季。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

muddle• Several incidents are clever and revealing, others muddled.• You can see why it is easy to be muddled about carbohydrate.• They muddled around the fringes of true power, never quite brave enough or decisive enough to take the plunge.• I found them to be muddled, frightened, weary.• Passion starts to muddle my thinking.• The lines between re-creations and reality are so muddled that some news programs have even used Hollywood films to illustrate news stories.• You muddle through, reduced to selling your own ads to make a decent buck.• While children were very young it was possible to muddle through.Origin muddle2 (1500-1600) Probably from early Dutch moddelen “to make muddy”, from Middle Dutch modde “mud”

mud·dle1 nounmuddle2 verbChineseSyllable  

confused to Corpus be

muddle

I

mud‧dle¹ /ˈmʌdl/ noun
1. be in a muddle/get into a muddle British English
  a. to be confused:
    I’m in such a muddle, I’d completely forgotten you were coming today.
    be in a muddle/get into a muddle over/about
    My grandmother tends to get into a muddle over names.
  b. to be untidy or in a disorganized state:
    Sorry about the mess – we’re in a bit of a muddle at the moment.
    All my files have got into a muddle somehow.
2. [countable usually singular, uncountable] when there is confusion about something, and things are done wrong as a result:
    Our accountant finally managed to sort out the muddle.
    muddle over/about
    There was a bit of a muddle over our hotel reservations.

II

muddle² (also muddle up) verb [transitive] especially British English1. to put things in the wrong order:
    Someone’s muddled up all the papers on my desk.
    The government seems to have lost its way and muddled its priorities.
2. to confuse one person or thing with another, and make a mistake
   SYN  mix up:
    The twins are so alike that it’s easy to muddle them up.
    Spanish and Italian are very similar and I sometimes get them muddled up.
    muddle something with something
    Be careful not to muddle the files you’ve already worked on with the others.
3. to confuse someone, especially so that they make a mistake:
    Don’t muddle her with all the extra details at the moment.
    Could you just repeat those figures – I’ve got a bit muddled up.
     
muddle along/on phrasal verb
  to continue doing something without having any clear plan or purpose, or without having enough help or support:
    There’s no point in muddling on in the same old job for ever.
    Many of the students complained that they were left to muddle along on their own.
muddle through (something) phrasal verb especially British English
  to succeed in doing something with difficulty, or not in a very satisfactory way:
    There were some difficult questions but I managed to muddle through.
    The team managed to muddle through another season.