muddy

1 of 2

adjective

mud·​dy ˈmə-dē How to pronounce muddy (audio)
muddier; muddiest
1
: morally impure : base
2
a
: full of or covered with mud
b
: characteristic or suggestive of mud
a muddy flavor
muddy colors
c
: turbid with sediment
3
a
: lacking in clarity or brightness : cloudy, dull
a muddy recording
eyes muddy with sleep
b
: obscure in meaning : muddled, confused
muddy thinking
muddily adverb
muddiness noun

muddy

2 of 2

verb

muddied; muddying

transitive verb

1
2
: to soil or stain with or as if with mud
3
: to make turbid
4
: to make cloudy or dull
Phrases
muddy the waters
: to make a situation more confusing or difficult

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
Setting The Searcher and The Hunter far from Dublin, out among the boggy wilds and muddy farms of Ireland’s west coast, pulls at a different aspect of the country’s economic decline. Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024 The job was messy because recent rains had created a muddy scene for the volunteers who had to collect the bunnies, most of which had matted fur. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Its hunting efficacy stems from its spiny exterior and dexterous tube feet, enabling it to adeptly navigate and capture prey on the muddy seafloor. Anna Nordseth, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 In Milan, Gucci, Ferragamo, and Bottega Veneta showed shoes and bags in rich, muddy reds, while in Paris, Loewe and Lemaire followed suit. Christina Holevas, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2024 But damp and muddy ground left over from recent rains didn't dampen the spirit at the gathering. The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024 But this season, the usually pristine white resorts look more like muddy wastelands. Fiona Sibbett, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024 The problem, for the Ukrainians, is that the two intact supply lines are unpaved tracks that are shell-pocked, muddy and exposed to Russian fire from the north and the south. David Axe, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 Unfortunately, all that moisture has one big drawback for outdoor recreation: muddy, waterlogged trails. Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
After Damian broke up with Giannina at the altar (and Giannina muddied her dress by dramatically sprinting out of the ceremony), the couple briefly rekindled their relationship but broke up in August 2021 as rumors swirled about Damian dating Too Hot to Handle’s Francesca Farago. Charlotte Walsh, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2024 Unfortunately, these interchangeable terms (competency/skill) muddy the conversation, creating confusion with employers and new grads, who rarely put competencies on their resumes. Shawn Vanderziel, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 As such, take pains not to muddy this one of three batters with anything that could detract from or mar what should remain the purity and integrity of this layer. Emily Reynolds Bergh, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 The downpour muddies the water’s surface, but not the joy of sharing a rainy day with gentle giants. Robin Soslow, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Teal pumpkins = hypoallergenic needs/options & this idea muddies that message. Angelica Stabile, Fox News, 31 Oct. 2023 The key for Baltimore will be getting Mahomes off his first read, muddying the picture in the secondary and applying pressure up the middle and/or on the edge without losing contain. Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2024 On social media, pro-government influencers further muddied the waters. Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 28 Dec. 2023 The announcement foreshadows a new challenge for state regulators, as increasingly advanced AI tools create new opportunities to meddle in elections across the world by creating fake audio recordings, photos and even videos of candidates, muddying the waters of reality. Pranshu Verma, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'muddy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of muddy was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near muddy

Cite this Entry

“Muddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muddy. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

muddy

1 of 2 adjective
mud·​dy ˈməd-ē How to pronounce muddy (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on muddy

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