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

Cue a mordantly absurd scene where his chance to land a position in the administration hinges on him successfully retrieving a precious package from a muddy field behind enemy lines, which turns out to be a damp and recalcitrant cat. —Jessica Kiang, Variety, 20 May 2026

So later, after the tornado had passed, our crew went out to find the things in a muddy field, important not only because of the cost, but to analyze the scientific data captured on the SDS cards. —Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026

Verb

To further muddy the waters, internal Park Service records cited by the Times indicate that Atlantic Industrial Coatings initially failed multiple attempts to seal the gaps between the Reflecting Pool’s concrete slabs, the very leaks the renovation was supposed to address. —Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 28 May 2026

But coming out of the long weekend, Pratt hit Bass hard with claims of election law violation that actually could muddy the waters. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 26 May 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