muddy
Americanadjective
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abounding in or covered with mud.
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not clear or pure.
muddy colors.
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cloudy with sediment.
muddy coffee.
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dull, as the complexion.
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not clear mentally.
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obscure or vague, as thought, expression, or literary style.
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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)
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to make muddy; soil with mud.
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to make turbid.
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to cause to be confused or obscure.
verb (used without object)
adjective
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covered or filled with mud
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not clear or bright
muddy colours
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cloudy
a muddy liquid
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(esp of thoughts) confused or vague
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of muddy
First recorded in 1375–1425, muddy is from the late Middle English word muddi. See mud, -y 1
Explanation
Muddy is a verb that means to make dirty with mud. You might muddy up your mom's white shag rug if you don't take off your dirty hiking boots before you walk inside. The meaning of muddy is easy to remember: just look at the root word mud and think about smearing it on something. Muddy is also an adjective that describes something that's dirty and messy. When you're a child, you often end up looking muddy after playing outside, because you've been splashing in puddles and playing in the leaves. Muddy can also describe soil that's waterlogged, like your vegetable garden after a big rainstorm.
Vocabulary lists containing muddy
Can You Dig It? Words for Dirt and Soil
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Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 3
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The answer isn’t straightforward, said Peter Meyer, principal economist with Muddy Boots Ag.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
SoFi stock has fallen 40% this year as of Wednesday’s close of trading, weighed down by a brutal market for fintech and allegations of accounting mishandling by the short seller Muddy Waters Research.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
Block is well-known as the founder and chief executive officer of Muddy Waters Capital, a hedge fund and investment research firm, with a string of successful bearish bets to his name.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
Muddy pitches, febrile home crowds and the Premier League's biggest stars taken far beyond their comfort zones.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026
They crossed Fishmonger's Square and rode along Muddy Way before turning onto the narrow, curving Hook to begin their climb up Aegon's High Hill.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
