# riddled

/ˈɹɪdəɫd/ (US) · /ɹˈɪdəld/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/riddled
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

full of something bad or unpleasant, like mistakes or holes. You use it to describe something that is damaged or very messy.

For teachers: permeated or filled with something undesirable, such as errors, disease, or bullet holes. Often used predicatively after a linking verb or as a participial adjective modifying a noun.

## Examples

- The old wooden fence is riddled with holes.
- The first draft of the report was riddled with spelling errors and factual inconsistencies.
- The historian argued that the administration was so riddled with corruption that no single reform could have prevented the eventual collapse of the institution.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The wall was riddled of bullets" but "The wall was riddled with bullets" — Riddled always takes the preposition 'with' to indicate what it is full of.

## Usage notes

- Typically followed by the preposition 'with' and a noun phrase describing the negative quality.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.