muddy

[ muhd-ee ]

adjective

, mud·di·er, mud·di·est.

1. abounding in or covered with mud.
2. not clear or pure:

   muddy colors.

3. cloudy with sediment:

   muddy coffee.

4. dull, as the complexion.
5. not clear mentally.
6. obscure or vague, as thought, expression, or literary style.
7. Horse Racing. denoting the condition of a track after a heavy, continuous rainfall has ceased and been completely absorbed into the surface, leaving it the consistency of thick mud.

verb (used with object)

, mud·died, mud·dy·ing.

1. to make muddy; soil with mud.
2. to make turbid.
3. to cause to be confused or obscure.

verb (used without object)

, mud·died, mud·dy·ing.

1. to become muddy.

muddy

/ ˈmʌdɪ /

adjective

1. covered or filled with mud
2. not clear or bright

   muddy colours

3. cloudy

   a muddy liquid

4. (esp of thoughts) confused or vague

verb

1. to become or cause to become muddy

Derived Forms

• ˈmuddily, adverb
• ˈmuddiness, noun

Other Words From

• muddi·ly adverb
• muddi·ness noun
• un·muddied adjective
• un·muddy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of muddy¹

First recorded in 1375–1425, muddy is from the late Middle English word muddi. See mud, -y ¹

Example Sentences

Their plots are essentially straightforward — somebody wants to kill somebody, somebody else wants to stop them — but stuffed with complications and characters that can at times muddy specific goals and motivations.

From Los Angeles Times

That’s because the case brings together two muddy legal regimes: copyright law, which is renowned for its craziness and confusion; and AI law, which may be years away from coalescing into coherence.

From Los Angeles Times

No need to walk around muddy fields for authenticity: “That’s real sheep poo.”

From Los Angeles Times

Most of the marchers fell away en route, but by the end of June a Hooverville-like camp housing as many as 15,000 bedraggled men and their families had sprung up in the desolate, muddy Anacostia Flats area of Washington.

From Los Angeles Times

And now, at the eleventh hour, a shadowy group is barging in to muddy the waters even further.

From Slate

Related Words

• dirty
• dull
• filthy
• flat
• gloomy
• marshy
• sloppy
• sodden
• soggy
• swampy