mucking

American

[muhk-ing] / ˈmʌk ɪŋ /

adjective

British Slang.

damned.

Etymology

Origin of mucking

First recorded in 1595–1605; muck + -ing ²

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 wild card in the movie, and one whose fierce devotion to mucking things up isn’t well explained, is Barry Keoghan as a motorbike-riding blond agent of chaos, Ormon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

He also examined the history of those peculiar twists and turns on the city perimeter, mucking through L.A.’s long-simmering stew of real estate grabs, water politics and annexation schemes.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 25, 2025

Whittaker says he first injured his teeth when he was 19 and "young and dumb" and "mucking around on the town".

From BBC • Jul. 25, 2025

And craft cider makers often welcome volunteers who enjoy mucking in and spending time outdoors with their families.

From Salon • Jul. 30, 2024

I want to go all the way with this, to stop mucking around and do what I feel, so at the base of the statue I put my favorite punk rallying cry: I’M A MESS.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023