sludge

noun \ ˈsləj \

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

Examples: sludge in a Sentence

Definition of sludge

1 : mud, mire; especially : a muddy deposit (as on a riverbed) : ooze

2 : a muddy or slushy mass, deposit, or sediment: such as

a : precipitated solid matter produced by water and sewage treatment processes

b : muddy sediment in a steam boiler

c : a precipitate or settling (such as a mixture of impurities and acid) from a mineral oil

3 : slush 5

—

sludgy

play \ˈslə-jē\ adjective

See sludge defined for English-language learners

See sludge defined for kids

Examples of sludge in a Sentence

after a day of heavy rain, the fairgrounds had turned into pure sludge
I can't bring myself to read that sludge.

Recent Examples of sludge from the Web

Follow the Leader, like many Korn albums, starts out strong and descends into aimless sludge.

— richard s. he, Billboard, "August 18, 1998: Korn, Kid Rock, Orgy & The Biggest Day in Nu-Metal History," 30 May 2018
But this track was hard and also heavy, drying into a tiring sludge.

— tim layden, SI.com, "Justify Emerges From the Fog at Preakness to Keep Triple Crown Pursuit Alive," 19 May 2018
The unflappable Luke Skywalker, formerly a shimmering, golden Jedi, has become an aged, crotchety beard-o who drinks green sludge from the teat of a space aardvark.

— steve heisler, Chicago Reader, "Archive Dive / Arts / Film May the fourth be with you, even if the Reader's critics rarely become one with the force," 4 May 2018
The cast, which also includes Karen Gillan, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Aaron Staton, JoBeth Williams and Bob Gunton, just can't get out from under the somnambulant, stereotypical sludge.

— katie walsh, latimes.com, "Comedy 'Alex & the List" delivers neither romance nor laughs," 3 May 2018
But the Braves’ flow of young talent came with some sludge.

— tyler kepner, New York Times, "A Big Dealer Holds His Cards in Atlanta," 27 Apr. 2018
The landfill has been accepting the New York sewage sludge since early 2017.

— jeff martin and jay reeves, miamiherald, "A stranded trainload of very stinky NYC poop makes it hard to breathe in an Ala. town | Miami Herald," 18 Apr. 2018
The landfill has been accepting the New York sewage sludge since early 2017.

— NBC News, "Stranded NYC 'poop train' has small-town Alabamians stinking mad," 18 Apr. 2018
The landfill has been accepting the New York sewage sludge since early 2017.

— jeff martin and jay reeves, chicagotribune.com, "'It smells like death:' Alabama endures New York City 'poop train'," 17 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sludge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sludge

Middle English slugge, perhaps alteration of slicche mud, slush; akin to Old High German slīh mire

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

sludge Synonyms

Synonyms

guck (or gook), mire, muck, mud, ooze, slime, slop, slush;

Related Words

gumbo, silt;

clay, dirt, gravel, humus, loam, sand, soil;

SLUDGE Defined for English Language Learners

sludge

noun

Definition of sludge for English Language Learners

: thick, soft, wet mud
: a soft, thick material that is produced in various industrial processes (such as in the treatment of sewage)
: a thick material that can form in the oil in an engine and cause engine problems