muddy

[muhd-ee]

adjective

muddier, muddiest 

1. abounding in or covered with mud.

2. not clear or pure.

   muddy colors.

3. cloudy with sediment.

   muddy coffee.

4. dull, as the complexion.

5. not clear mentally.

6. obscure or vague, as thought, expression, or literary style.

7. Horse Racing.,  denoting the condition of a track after a heavy, continuous rainfall has ceased and been completely absorbed into the surface, leaving it the consistency of thick mud.

verb (used with object)

muddied, muddying 

1. to make muddy; soil with mud.

2. to make turbid.

3. to cause to be confused or obscure.

verb (used without object)

muddied, muddying 

1. to become muddy.

muddy

/ ˈmʌdɪ /

adjective

1. covered or filled with mud

2. not clear or bright

   muddy colours

3. cloudy

   a muddy liquid

4. (esp of thoughts) confused or vague

verb

1. to become or cause to become muddy

Other Word Forms

• muddily adverb
• muddiness noun
• unmuddied adjective
• unmuddy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of muddy¹

First recorded in 1375–1425, muddy is from the late Middle English word muddi. See mud, -y ¹

Example Sentences

People walk along muddied roads scavenging the wreckage for food.

Read more on BBC

The sobriety of “Robin Hood” does not render it less than entertaining, just slow to engage its wooden wheels in the muddy ruts of a well-known medieval tale.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

One by one, they walked out the side door, across the muddy barnyard, and into the parlor for a quick milking before heading down to the pasture.

Read more on Literature

The darkness of the woods and muddy terrain was just as effective scenery as any of the bedsheet drapery or wooden flats that had been set up.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The government’s cases are sometimes so muddied that it’s unclear why agents actually arrested a citizen.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• dirty 
• dull 
• filthy 
• flat 
• gloomy 
• marshy 
• sloppy 
• sodden 
• soggy 
• swampy