muddy

1 of 2

adjective

mud·​dy ˈmə-dē How to pronounce muddy (audio)
muddier; muddiest
1
: morally impure : base
2
a
: full of or covered with mud
b
: characteristic or suggestive of mud
a muddy flavor
muddy colors
c
: turbid with sediment
3
a
: lacking in clarity or brightness : cloudy, dull
a muddy recording
eyes muddy with sleep
b
: obscure in meaning : muddled, confused
muddy thinking
muddily adverb
muddiness noun

muddy

2 of 2

verb

muddied; muddying

transitive verb

1
2
: to soil or stain with or as if with mud
3
: to make turbid
4
: to make cloudy or dull
Phrases
muddy the waters
: to make a situation more confusing or difficult

Examples of muddy in a Sentence

Adjective please do not walk in the house with muddy boots on, as you will get the carpet dirty whether muddy or not, water taken from lakes and streams should be boiled by campers Verb The flooding muddied the roads. She muddied the color by adding some brown. muddying the line between fact and fiction The debate further muddied the issues.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Palestinian families who had returned to live among the ruins of the devastated neighborhood during the ceasefire once again fled, piling mattresses and belongings on donkey carts and escaping on muddy roads. Daniel Estrin, NPR, 20 Mar. 2025 Tidy up all those tight spaces—tub seals, sink drains, car vents—or spiff up a pair of muddy sneakers. Ella Field, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
This could further muddy grad-school yields by making some applicants unable to accept their offers of admissions or enroll. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025 But those later eras did much to muddy the historical waters, and this setting now comes with a hefty load of baggage. Olivia Waite, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for muddy

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of muddy was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Muddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muddy. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

muddy

1 of 2 adjective
mud·​dy ˈməd-ē How to pronounce muddy (audio)
muddier; muddiest
1
: filled or covered with mud
a muddy pond
muddy shoes
2
: resembling mud
a muddy color
muddy coffee
3
: not clear or bright
a muddy complexion
4
: unclear in meaning : muddled
muddy thinking
muddiness noun

muddy

2 of 2 verb
muddied; muddying
1
: to soil or stain with or as if with mud
2
: to make cloudy or dull
3
: to become or cause to become confused

More from Merriam-Webster on muddy

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