What does meddlesome mean?
Meddlesome is an adjective describing someone who interferes in other people’s affairs, conversations, or plans without being invited to do so. The word is often used to criticize this behaviour, although it can also identify a recurring trait without implying deliberate hostility. A meddlesome relative might offer unsolicited advice about a family decision, while a meddlesome neighbour might comment on a person’s daily routine. The term is useful when describing a boundary violation: it distinguishes ordinary sociability from conduct that is intrusive or inappropriately involved. In British and American English, meddlesome is recognised in both formal writing and everyday conversation, usually with a mildly disapproving tone. It is related to the verb meddle, as in “to meddle in someone else’s affairs,” and to the noun meddler, meaning a person who interferes.
adjectiveGiven to interfering in other people’s affairs or business without being asked. It often carries a mildly critical or disapproving tone.
- Given to interfering in other people’s affairs or business without being asked.
"Her meddlesome neighbour had opinions about how she organized her kitchen."
"The meddlesome child kept asking his brother what he was doing."
"She considered the comments from her colleagues unnecessarily meddlesome."
Meddlesome means inclined to mind other people’s business—especially when nobody asked you to.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does meddlesome come from?
Meddlesome was formed from the verb meddle with the suffix -some, a productive English suffix that creates adjectives meaning “characterized by” a particular quality. The resulting word therefore describes someone who is given to meddling. Its closely related forms include meddle and meddler, which belong to the same familiar verbal family.
Related word forms
How meddlesome is actually used
Generally disapproving or mildly critical, though it can be used neutrally when describing a particular tendency. It is common in formal and literary English as well as everyday speech.