English · Word Candidate

muddy

/ˈmʌdi/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: muddier · muddiest · muddies · muddying

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Covered or splashed with, or full of, mud (“wet soil”).

Adjective

Examples

He slogged across the muddy field.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Of water or some other liquid: containing mud or (by extension) other sediment in suspension; cloudy, turbid.

Adjective

Examples

The previously limpid water was now muddy as a result of the struggle between the alligator and the wild boar.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

To cover or splash (someone or something) with mud.

Verb

Examples

If you muddy your shoes don’t wear them inside.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

To make (water or some other liquid) cloudy or turbid by stirring up mud or other sediment.

Verb

Examples

This is at the bottom a dictate of common ſenſe, or the inſtinct of ſelf-defence, peculiar to ignorant weakneſs; reſembling that inſtinct, which makes a fiſh muddy the water it ſwims in to allude its enemy, inſtead of boldly facing it in the clear ſtream.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “muddy” mean?

Covered or splashed with, or full of, mud (“wet soil”).

Is “muddy” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.