muddier; muddiest
1
: filled or covered with mud
a muddy pond
His shoes were muddy.
2
: similar to mud
a muddy color
muddy coffee
3
: not clear or bright : dull or cloudy
a muddy complexion
The recording sounded muddy.
4
: unclear in thought or meaning
muddy thinking
The facts in the case are muddy.
muddies; muddied; muddying
: to make (something) muddy: such as
a
: to cover (something) with mud
His shoes were muddied.
The flooding muddied the roads.
b
: to make (a color) cloudy or dull
She muddied the color by adding some brown.
c
: to cause (something) to become unclear or confused
muddying the line between fact and fiction
The debate further muddied the issues.
Cite this Entry
“Muddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/muddy. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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