meddle
gb/mˈɛdəl/ us/mˈɛdəl/
B2
English
~ 9200
beleavatkozik, beleszól, babrál
VERB
B2
1
beleszól
B1
Usage pattern:
to meddle in [someone’s affairs / something]
He’s always trying to meddle in his sister’s relationships, even when she asks him not to.
Mindig bele akar avatkozni a húga kapcsolataiba, még akkor is, amikor a húga megkéri, hogy ne tegye.
The government has been accused of meddling in the election of a neighboring country.
A kormányt azzal vádolták, hogy beavatkozott egy szomszédos ország választásába.
I don’t want to meddle in their family problems, so I stayed out of the argument.
She hates it when her parents meddle in her career decisions.
Foreign powers should not meddle in our internal affairs.
Learner examples
My mother likes to meddle in my love life.
Anyám szeret beleszólni a szerelmi életembe.
Please don’t meddle in things that are not your problem.
Kérlek, ne avatkozz bele olyan dolgokba, amik nem rád tartoznak.
The teacher told the students not to meddle in the fight.
He is always meddling in other people’s plans.
They say the media should not meddle in the court case.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use the wrong preposition and say *meddle into* instead of *meddle in*. The usual patterns are *meddle in something* and *meddle with something*. Another confusion is with the verb *meditate*, which is unrelated and means to think deeply or to relax the mind.
Meaning
interfere in others’ affairs
Collocations
meddle in politics
|meddle in someone’s affairs
|meddle in other people’s lives
|meddle in a relationship
|meddle in the dispute
|meddle in internal matters
Synonyms
interfere (The most common general word; slightly broader and can be neutral, while "meddle" is almost always negative and unwanted.)
|
intrude (Suggests entering a situation or space where you are not welcome; can sound a bit stronger or more formal than "meddle".)
|
pry (Focuses on asking too many personal questions or trying to get private information, while "meddle" is about getting involved in actions or decisions.)
Antonyms
mind your own business (An informal phrase meaning to stay out of other people’s affairs, the opposite of meddling.)
Themes
relationships
|conflict
|social_behavior
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To become involved in other people’s problems or plans when they do not want or need your help.
To involve yourself in other people’s business or a situation that does not concern you, especially in an annoying or unwanted way.
VERB
B2
2
babrál
B2
Usage pattern:
to meddle with [something]
Don’t meddle with the engine unless you know what you’re doing.
Ne babrálj a motorral, hacsak nem tudod, mit csinálsz.
Someone had meddled with the security settings and caused the system to crash.
Valaki babrált a biztonsági beállításokkal, és ettől összeomlott a rendszer.
The police believe that the documents were destroyed after someone meddled with the evidence.
He warned the kids not to meddle with the old electrical wiring in the basement.
The software works fine—please don’t meddle with the default configuration.
Learner examples
Please don’t meddle with my phone.
Kérlek, ne babrálj a telefonommal.
The boy meddled with the machine and broke it.
A fiú babrált a géppel, és elrontotta.
Someone meddled with the door lock last night.
She told her brother not to meddle with her computer.
If you meddle with the wires, you could get hurt.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse *meddle with* (to handle or change something you shouldn’t) with *play with*, which is usually more neutral or positive. *Meddle with* suggests risk, damage, or trouble. Also, *meddle* is not used transitively; you say *meddle with the lock*, not *meddle the lock*.
Meaning
tamper with or handle improperly
Collocations
meddle with the controls
|meddle with evidence
|meddle with the settings
|meddle with the lock
|meddle with the wiring
|meddle with the system
Synonyms
tamper (with) (Very close in meaning; often used in legal or technical contexts for secretly changing or damaging something.)
|
mess with (Informal; can mean to handle or interfere with something, often more casual than "meddle with" and used in spoken English.)
Antonyms
leave alone (Means not to touch or change something, the opposite of meddling with it.)
Themes
crime
|technology
|safety
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To touch or change something when you should not, and possibly break it or make trouble.
To touch, handle, or change something you should not, especially in a way that may damage it, make it not work, or cause problems.
Grammar
Dictionary form
meddle
IPA
GB/mˈɛdəl/
US/mˈɛdəl/
Syllables & stress
meddle (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (meddle)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: meddle
- 3rd Person Singular: meddles
- Present Participle: meddling
- Past: meddled
Word family
Forms
meddles
verb
meddling
verb
meddled
verb
Core family
meddler
noun
Related words
meddlesome
adjective
Expressions
meddle in
1/mˈɛdəl ˈɪn/
phrasal verb
interfere in a situation
To get involved in a situation that is not your job or your problem, usually in an unwanted way.
Examples
- They accused the company of trying to meddle in local politics.
- I refuse to meddle in their marriage problems; it’s none of my business.
- The minister denied that his office had meddled in the investigation.
meddle in someone’s affairs
1/mˈɛdəl ˈɪn sˈʌmwˌʌnz əfˈɛɹz/
fixed phrase
interfere in personal matters
To get involved in another person’s private life or problems when they do not want you to.
Examples
- She’s angry because her parents keep meddling in her affairs.
- I don’t want to meddle in your affairs, but I think you’re making a mistake.
- He was known for meddling in his colleagues’ affairs at the office.
meddle where you’re not wanted
1/mˈɛdəl wˈɛɹ jˈʊɹ nˈɑt wˈɔntɪd/
idiom
interfere where not wanted
To enter a situation or problem even though the people involved do not want your help or opinion.
Examples
- He has a habit of meddling where he’s not wanted.
- She warned him not to meddle where he wasn’t wanted.
- I don’t like to meddle where I’m not wanted, so I kept quiet.
meddle with
1/mˈɛdəl wˈɪθ/
phrasal verb
tamper with or handle improperly
To touch, move, or change something you should not, which can break it or cause trouble.
Examples
- Don’t let the children meddle with the chemicals in the garage.
- Someone must have meddled with the thermostat; it’s freezing in here now.
- He warned them not to meddle with the alarm system.