mud

American  

[muhd] / mʌd /

noun

1. wet, soft earth or earthy matter, as on the ground after rain, at the bottom of a pond, or along the banks of a river; mire.

2. Informal. scandalous or malicious assertions or information.

   The opposition threw a lot of mud at our candidate.

3. Slang. brewed coffee, especially when strong or bitter.

4. a mixture of chemicals and other substances pumped into a drilling rig chiefly as a lubricant for the bit and shaft.

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verb (used with object)

mudded, mudding

1. to cover, smear, or spatter with mud.

   to mud the walls of a hut.

2. to stir up the mud or sediment in.

   waders mudding the clear water.

verb (used without object)

mudded, mudding

1. to hide in or burrow into mud.

mud British  

/ mʌd /

noun

1. a fine-grained soft wet deposit that occurs on the ground after rain, at the bottom of ponds, lakes, etc

2. informal slander or defamation

3. informal not at all clear

4. to disgrace or defame someone

5. informal a humorous drinking toast

6. informal someone is disgraced

7. informal to slander; vilify

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verb

1. (tr) to soil or cover with mud

mud Idioms  

1. see clear as mud; name is mud; sling mud at.

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Other Word Forms

• unmudded adjective

Etymology

Origin of mud

1300–50; Middle English mudde, mode < Middle Low German mudde. mother ²

Example Sentences

According to Port Vale's official website,, external Spurs boss Terry Venables took one look at the pitch and told star midfielder Ossie Ardiles that he would "get lost in the mud".

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

From these narrow scraps grew “The Star of Redemption,” an audacious 1921 book conceived under fire that asks what remains of love—both human and divine—after war has marched a continent into the mud.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

Even Maekar’s political analysis cracks when confronted with the visual of Baelor standing in the mud with borrowed armor, fighting off Duncan’s foes, and of the assembled commons cheering for the hedge knight.

From Salon • Feb. 25, 2026

Firefighters and authorities search for people trapped in the mud and debris in Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, after torrential rains that have left at least 23 people dead and 47 missing in flooding and landslides.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

Archie slept soundly in the basket, caked in mud and swaddled tightly in blankets.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Related Words

• clay
• muck
• silt
• sludge
• slush