Meanings
plural meddlers
- One who meddles or interferes in something not of their concern.
3 more examples
The prudent man is not willing to ſubject himſelf to any responſibility which his duty does not impoſe upon him. He is not a buſtler in buſineſs where he has no concern; is not a meddler in other people’s affairs; is not a profeſſed counſellor or adviſer, who obtrudes his advice where nobody is aſking it.
1790, Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments; […] In Two Volumes, 6th edition, volume II, London: […] A[ndrew] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell […]; Edinburgh: W[illiam] Creech, and J. Bell & Co., →OCLC, part VI, section I (Of the Character of the Individual, so far as It Affects His Own Happiness; or of Prudence), page 59“Yes, Mr. Coleman, I have,” answered Luke steadily. “I thought it my duty to inform this man of your character. I have advised him to put his money into a savings-bank.” “Curse you for an impertinent meddler!” said Coleman wrathfully. “I’ll get even with you for this!” “You can do as you please,” said Luke calmly.
1868, Horatio Alger, Struggling Upward“Stop!” The hoarse, oddly alien voice of the Swami held a tone beyond all mere earthly fright “I told you there was another form of proof which I could give if necessary, and I warned you not to provoke me to it. This red-faced old meddler is right; I’m not really an East Indian. This face is a mask, and what it covers is not human.”
1934, H. P. Lovecraft, Through the Gates of the Silver Key, chapter 8Synonyms: busybody, kibitzer, marplot, nosey parker
Synonyms & antonyms
nounOne who meddles or interferes in something not of their concern.
Origin
- Middle Englishmedlere
- Englishmeddler
From Middle English medlere, medelere, equivalent to meddle + -er.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan manifasser, manifassera
- manifasserone who meddles or interferes
- manifasseraone who meddles or interferes
- fressetaone who meddles or interferes
Dutch bemoeial
- bemoeialone who meddles or interferes
Finnish nuuskija
- nuuskijaone who meddles or interferes
French fouineur, fouineuse
- fouineurone who meddles or interferes
- fouineuseone who meddles or interferes
Greek ανακατωσούρης
- ανακατωσούρης (anakatosoúris)one who meddles or interferes
Hungarian minden lében kanál, kotnyeles
- minden lében kanálone who meddles or interferes
- kotnyelesone who meddles or interferes
Italian ficcanaso, impiccione
- ficcanasoone who meddles or interferes
- impiccioneone who meddles or interferes
Latin ardelio
- ardelioone who meddles or interferes
Māori whawhewhawhe, kohe
- whawhewhawheone who meddles or interferes
- koheone who meddles or interferes
Polish ciekawski, ciekawska
- ciekawskione who meddles or interferes
- ciekawskaone who meddles or interferes
Spanish metiche, entremetido
- meticheone who meddles or interferes
- entremetidoone who meddles or interferes
- entrometidoone who meddles or interferes
- intruseteone who meddles or interferes
Rhymes & wordplay
Sounds the same
Cite this entry
meddler. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meddler
“meddler.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meddler. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “meddler,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meddler.
Source: meddler on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.