Synonyms of muck

muck 1 of 2

noun

ˈmək 

1

as in dirt

foul matter that mars the purity or cleanliness of something

spattered with muck from the pigpen

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dirt
• soil
• sludge
• sewage
• filth
• garbage
• gunk
• dust
• grime
• crud
• litter
• trash
• smut
• junk
• rubbish
• scum
• slime
• sewerage
• swill
• dross
• waste
• soot
• refuse
• dirtiness
• scrap
• crock
• foulness
• nastiness
• uncleanness
• filthiness
• dustiness
• uncleanliness
• grubbiness
• griminess
• dinginess
• squalidness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• cleanliness
• cleanness

2

as in mud

soft wet earth

her shoes were covered with muck by the end of the soccer game

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mud
• sludge
• mire
• gravel
• ooze
• sand
• slime
• dirt
• silt
• guck
• slop
• slush
• clay
• soil
• loam
• gumbo
• humus

3

as in junk

that which is of low quality or worth

what's this muck that you've been watching on TV, anyway?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• junk
• cheese
• rubbish
• trash
• camp
• tripe
• mess
• lemon
• slop
• slush
• dreck
• bomb
• nonsense
• crapola
• sleaze
• claptrap
• kitsch
• turkey
• stinker
• clinker
• shambles
• humbug
• muddle
• dud
• clunker

4

as in garbage

language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense

there's some solid substance in this book, but the reader has to trudge through a lot of muck to get to it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• garbage
• nonsense
• rubbish
• nuts
• drool
• stupidity
• silliness
• blah
• trash
• rot
• jazz
• absurdity
• bilge
• bunk
• craziness
• beans
• guff
• foolishness
• claptrap
• twaddle
• crock
• insanity
• blither
• fiddle
• absurdness
• madness
• baloney
• punk
• fudge
• trumpery
• malarkey
• bull
• hokum
• hogwash
• piffle
• bunkum
• hooey
• folderol
• balderdash
• blatherskite
• flapdoodle
• poppycock
• humbuggery
• tosh
• drivel
• blather
• bosh
• codswallop
• crapola
• slush
• fiddlesticks
• tommyrot
• blarney
• folly
• applesauce
• taradiddle
• hokeypokey
• nerts
• horsefeathers
• fiddle-faddle
• hoodoo
• moonshine
• senselessness
• humbug
• flannel
• idiocy
• inanity
• tomfoolery
• kookiness
• foolery
• rigmarole
• gas
• imbecility
• lunacy
• witlessness
• inaneness
• asininity
• greek
• monkey business
• fatuity
• hot air
• shenanigan(s)
• double-talk
• hocus-pocus
• hoity-toity
• monkeyshine(s)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rationality
• reasonableness
• sense
• common sense
• horse sense
• sensibleness
• judgment
• wisdom
• reasonability
• levelheadedness
• discernment

muck

2 of 2

verb

as in to stain

to make dirty

you can't work in the garden and not expect to muck your clothes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stain
• dirty
• mess
• soil
• muddy
• blacken
• mire
• grime
• smudge
• besmirch
• sully
• smirch
• daub
• befoul
• foul
• distain
• pollute
• gaum
• contaminate
• begrime
• taint
• bemire
• muddle
• disarray
• defile
• jumble
• discolor
• disarrange
• disorder
• confuse
• crock
• draggle
• dishevel
• colly

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• clean
• cleanse
• purge
• purify
• decontaminate
• wipe
• wash
• sweep
• dust
• brush
• scrub
• disinfect
• mop
• rinse
• sanitize
• scour
• launder
• renew
• brighten
• freshen
• spruce (up)
• straighten (up)
• dry-clean
• tidy (up)
• deodorize

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of muck

Noun

Mops of ghostly streamers, some of them longer than my arm, were waving like tentacles atop layers of black muck. — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026

Even when House of the Dragon is at its best, the prophecy skitters in to make a muck of things. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Verb

Law enforcement has a tough enough job already, without politicians mucking it up. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 6 May 2026

Jonas Valanciunas rejoined the action at backup center, mucking things up. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 28 Apr. 2026

Phrases Containing muck

• muck (about or around)
• muck up