muddy

[ muhd-ee ]

adjective

, mud·di·er, mud·di·est.

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)

, mud·died, mud·dy·ing.

1. to make muddy; soil with mud.
2. to make turbid.
3. to cause to be confused or obscure.

verb (used without object)

, mud·died, mud·dy·ing.

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

Derived Forms

• ˈmuddily, adverb
• ˈmuddiness, noun

Other Words From

• muddi·ly adverb
• muddi·ness noun
• un·muddied adjective
• un·muddy 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

April is often windy and muddy in Maine, but May and June are lambs.

From Outside Online

Frequent words like these can quickly muddy the phonics waters.

From Washington Post

Hearing devices are ever more capable of isolating specific sounds from a muddy cacophony of noises.

From Singularity Hub 

Water managers around the state say they’ve seen striking increases in muddy water, after logging operations.

From ProPublica

Still, not knowing exactly who heard what — with none of the sources on the record — muddies the picture.

From Vox

In late April or early May 1955, Chuck approached Muddy Waters about recording, and Muddy sent him to Leonard Chess.

From The Daily Beast

To actually get out into a muddy field for a change and have some bombs go off certainly beat sitting around a dining room table.

From The Daily Beast

When Muddy got the message, he ran to a phone and called his boss.

From The Daily Beast

But these songs by Muddy—no one had ever made commercial records like this.

From The Daily Beast

Muddy came in week after week to ask when it would hit stores.

From The Daily Beast

"Sing," said the Bull, as the stiff, muddy ox-bow creaked and strained.

From Project Gutenberg

A woolen skirt, made quite short, to clear the muddy streets, is the proper thing.

From Project Gutenberg

They went together, picking their way across muddy streets and sidewalks encumbered with the cheap display of small tradesmen.

From Project Gutenberg

Those muddy ankles and petticoats are not fit to be seen—there, now you are sweeping the pavement.

From Project Gutenberg

The best anchorage here is under the flat-topped hill, at a third of a mile from the shore, in ten fathoms, muddy bottom.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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