raddled

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 14, 2024 is: raddled \RAD-uld\ adjective Someone described as raddled is in a confused or befuddled state (as from drinking). Raddled can also describe things that are broken-down or worn. // We were met at the door by a raddled old man who turned out to be the actor’s father, and who in his day had also been an estimable presence on the London stage. // Louisa was delighted to discover a raddled old radio in her grandparents’ attic, even though it didn’t work. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raddled) Examples: “There seems to be very little information out there about Krinkles, the star of a commercial so disturbing its eternal afterlife on the internet is guaranteed: it’s probably all in a heavily guarded facility in Area 51. In the ad, this raddled gentleman pokes his head out of what appears to be a kennel after what was clearly a heavy night, crashes his way through the scenery, then eats some cereal.” — Emma Beddington, The Guardian (London, England), 31 Jan. 2024 Did you know? The origins of raddled are a bit of a riddle, but they may have something to do with rodel, the Middle English precursor to [ruddle](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruddle). Rattled? No need to get [red-faced](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red-faced), we’re here to explain. Rodel, like ruddle, refers to [red ocher](https://bit.ly/4evNces), a red pigment used for (among other things) marking animals, and especially sheep. Etymologists believe that both the noun [raddle](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raddle) (also meaning “red ocher”) and verb raddle (“to mark or paint with raddle”) come from a variant of rodel. A raddled sheep is a sheep marked with red dye (as at shearing or breeding time). Over time, the verb raddle was applied more broadly to the reddening of anything, and often to reddening by use (or overuse) of [rouge](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rouge) on a person’s face to conceal wrinkles caused by age or exhaustion. To be raddled thusly was not a compliment, and may have led to the “worn out” sense of the adjective raddled. The “confused” sense of raddled is often associated with the influence of alcohol, possibly due to the “reddening” effects of a [tipple](https://bit.ly/4evQIWc) on one’s visage.