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

One woman was paying $600 per month to live in a storage shed in the muddy backyard cluttered with junk and dotted with dog poop. —Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026

The ceasefire picture is muddier than the public posturing suggests. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026

Verb

In the state’s view, that weakens or muddies the legal boundary between the two types of gambling venues. —Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026

The bass doesn’t muddy up the track either. —Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 26 Mar. 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