Synonyms of sludge

sludge

noun

ˈsləj 

1

as in mud

soft wet earth

after a day of heavy rain, the fairgrounds had turned into pure sludge

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

2

as in corn

something (as a work of literature or music) that is too sentimental

I can't bring myself to read that sludge

Synonyms & Similar Words

• corn
• goo
• mush
• rubbish
• soap opera
• slush
• schmaltz
• claptrap
• tripe
• drivel

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sludge

Currently, the Louisiana sludge metal band has been busy headlining arenas across North America and opening stadiums in the UK and Europe for the likes of System of a Down and Queens Of The Stone Age. — Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

The ball rolled to the sticky floor, littered with crushed six-pack carriers and a fine layer of winter sludge, and two competitors dove to fetch it. — Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026

Indiana places safeguards on where the sludge can be applied and what crops are suitable for its use, as well as limits on the concentrations of certain pollutants contained in the product. — Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 7 Aug. 2026

Rather than paying millions to haul away toxic sludge, facilities could soon scrub their rinse water for immediate reuse to harvest high-purity copper directly off their treatment equipment. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026