muck

[ muhk ]

/ mʌk /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR muck ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

moist farmyard dung, decaying vegetable matter, etc.; manure.

a highly organic, dark or black soil, less than 50 percent combustible, often used as a manure.

mire; mud.

filth, dirt, or slime.

defamatory or sullying remarks.

a state of chaos or confusion: to make a muck of things.

Chiefly British Informal. something of no value; trash.

(especially in mining) earth, rock, or other useless matter to be removed in order to get out the mineral or other substances sought.

verb (used with object)

to manure.

to make dirty; soil.

to remove muck from (sometimes followed by out).

Informal.

to ruin; bungle (often followed by up).
to put into a state of complete confusion (often followed by up).

Verb Phrases

muck about/around, Informal. to idle; waste time; loiter.

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DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?

Question 1 of 10

decorum

the act of or need for making up one's mind.

dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.

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Origin of muck

1200–50; Middle English muc, muk < Old Norse myki cow dung

Words nearby muck

mucinoid, mucinosis, mucinous carcinoma, muciparous, muciparous gland, muck, muck about, muck bar, muck in, muck up, muck-a-muck

Definition for muck up (2 of 2)

muck-up

[ muhk-uhp ]

/ ˈmʌkˌʌp /

noun Informal.

a bungled or disordered situation; foul-up.

Origin of muck-up

First recorded in 1925–30; noun use of verb phrase muck up

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for muck up (1 of 2)

muck up

verb (adverb) informal

(tr) British and Australian to ruin or spoil; make a mess of

(intr) Australian to misbehave

British Dictionary definitions for muck up (2 of 2)

muck

/ (mʌk) /

noun

farmyard dung or decaying vegetable matter

Also called: muck soil an organic soil rich in humus and used as a fertilizer

dirt or filth

earth, rock material, etc, removed during mining excavations

slang, mainly British rubbish

See Lord Muck, Lady Muck

make a muck of slang, mainly British to ruin or spoil

verb (tr)

to spread manure upon (fields, gardens, etc)

to soil or pollute

(often foll by out) to clear muck from

Word Origin for muck

C13: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse myki dung, Norwegian myk

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with muck up

muck up

Bungle, damage, make a mess of, as in Don't let him write the review; he's sure to muck it up. This idiom alludes to the verb muck in the sense of “spread manure on.” [Early 1900s] For a synonym, see foul up.

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