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. Cf. mother ²

Explanation

Mud is very wet dirt. On rainy days, you might enjoy putting on your tall rubber boots and squishing around in the mud. When you mix soil with water, you get mud — a soft, almost sticky material. Mud results from a damp environment or a recent rain. There's also the mud that masons or bricklayers use to stick stones together — it resembles mud, though it's actually mortar or plaster, and to use it when building is to mud. The word mud also showed up in 1920s as slang" meaning "bad coffee," and if your "name is mud," you've got a bad reputation.

Example Sentences

Mud and debris fell onto West Mountain Drive and Cliff Drive at La Marina, and flooding forced the closure of the Mission Street underpass and the 101 freeway off-ramps, he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 17, 2025

The annual Maldon Mud Race in Essex saw Vicki Riley claim the title of fastest woman, while first-timer Joe Griggs was the first man to cross the finishing line.

From BBC • May 4, 2025

Mud fell from surrounding hills onto four houses just before midnight Saturday in the Tana Toraja district of South Sulawesi province, said local police chief Gunardi Mundu.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 14, 2024

They drop hints of Mississippi Mud Pie or perhaps some special confection purchased in a little town while on vacation.

From Salon • Feb. 29, 2024

Trouble was snoring in the gravel but he, Grub Kelp, had faced down the Mud Monster.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Related Words

• clay
• muck
• silt
• sludge
• slush