mud

1 of 2

noun

ˈməd 

1

: a slimy sticky mixture of solid material with a liquid and especially water

especially : soft wet earth

2

: abusive and malicious remarks or charges

political campaigners slinging mud at each other

3

: anathema sense 1a

—usually used in the phrase one's name is mud

4

: a mixture of water, clay, and chemicals used in oil-well drilling and having various functions (such as lubrication and cooling of the bit and flushing of rock particles to the surface)

mud

2 of 2

verb

mudded; mudding

transitive verb

1

: to make muddy or turbid

2

: to treat or plaster with mud

Synonyms

Noun

• guck
• gook
• mire
• muck
• ooze
• slime
• slop
• sludge
• slush

Examples of mud in a Sentence

Noun

He tracked mud into the house.

The car was stuck in the mud.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The crews used an excavator to lift the uninjured Dancer out of the mud, officials said. —Paloma Chavez, Miami Herald, 23 June 2025

This skepticism led Holliday and his team to use new material — ancient mud — to confirm their original dating estimates. —Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 18 June 2025

Verb

Going mudding The PC-065Bs joined hundreds of similar logistics vehicles in Ukrainian service—some optimized for construction, others better suited for cargo-hauling missions or ambulance duty. —David Axe, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025

The park is home to thousands of thermal features ranging from hot springs to geysers to mud pods to steam vents. —Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English mudde, probably from Middle Low German

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mud

• as clear as mud
• drag someone's name through the mud
• drag through the mire/mud
• drilling mud
• mud dauber
• mud flap
• mud puppy
• mud season
• mud turtle
• sling/throw mud
• someone's name is mud
• stick-in-the-mud

Rhymes for mud

• blood
• bud
• crud
• dud
• flood
• rud
• scud
• spud
• stud
• thud
• lifeblood
• youngblood

Kids Definition

mud

noun

ˈməd

: soft wet earth