muddy

1 of 2

adjective

mud·​dy ˈmə-dē 

muddier; muddiest

1

a

: full of or covered with mud

b

: characteristic or suggestive of mud

a muddy flavor

muddy colors

c

: turbid with sediment

muddy water

2

a

: lacking in clarity or brightness : cloudy, dull

a muddy recording

eyes muddy with sleep

b

: obscure in meaning : muddled, confused

muddy thinking

3

: morally impure : base

muddily

ˈmə-də-lē 

adverb

muddiness

ˈmə-dē-nəs 

noun

muddy

2 of 2

verb

muddied; muddying

transitive verb

1

: confuse

2

: to soil or stain with or as if with mud

3

: to make turbid

4

: to make cloudy or dull

see also:

muddy the waters

Synonyms of muddy

Adjective

• mucky
• slimy
• filthy
• slushy
• oozy
• sludgy
• dirty
• miry
• stained

Verb

• confuse
• baffle
• perplex
• puzzle
• bewilder
• muddle
• gravel

Examples of muddy in a Sentence

Adjective

please do not walk in the house with muddy boots on, as you will get the carpet dirty

whether muddy or not, water taken from lakes and streams should be boiled by campers

Verb

The flooding muddied the roads.

She muddied the color by adding some brown.

muddying the line between fact and fiction

The debate further muddied the issues.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

His comeback race at four on May 3, 2025 was a jump right into the deep end of the pool and he was beaten a neck on a muddy track in the grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes. —Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026

The muddy ground squished beneath dancing feet as hands reached toward the night sky. —Bryan West, USA Today, 14 June 2026

Verb

Meanwhile, the secretary of state's office and the State Election Board have further muddied the waters by issuing conflicting guidance for county election officials about how votes should be cast and counted. —ABC News, 14 June 2026

In more recent drops, FIFA has also introduced Category 1 front-row seating at some games, further muddying the waters. —Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 10 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing muddy

• muddy the waters

Rhymes for muddy

• bloody
• buddy
• cuddy
• ruddy
• scudi
• study
• restudy
• understudy

Kids Definition

muddy

1 of 2 adjective

mud·​dy ˈməd-ē 

muddier; muddiest

1

: filled or covered with mud

a muddy pond

muddy shoes

2

: resembling mud

a muddy color

muddy coffee

3

: not clear or bright

a muddy complexion

4

: unclear in meaning : muddled

muddy thinking

muddiness noun

muddy

2 of 2 verb

muddied; muddying

1

: to soil or stain with or as if with mud

2

: to make cloudy or dull

3

: to become or cause to become confused