muddy - Wiktionary https://en.wiktionary.

org/wiki/muddy#English

muddy

Contents
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
Adjective
Derived terms
Translations
Verb
Derived terms
Translations
Etymology 2
Noun
Translations
References
Further reading

English
WOTD – 4 December 2022

Pronunciation

▪ (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /ˈmʌdi/

▪ Audio (GA) 0:01

▪ Rhymes: -ʌdi
▪ Hyphenation: mud‧dy

Etymology 1

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English muddi, moddy, muddy (“covered with or full
of mud, muddy”),[1] from mud, mudde (“mud; turbid water”)[2] + -i (suffix forming
adjectives).[3] Mud, mudde is possibly borrowed from Middle Dutch modde, and/or Middle Low
German modde, mudde, from Proto-Germanic *mud-, *mudra- (“mud”), possibly from Proto-
Indo-European *mū-, *mew- (“moist”). The English word is analysable as mud + -y (suffix
meaning ‘having the quality of’ forming adjectives).[4] Doublet of muddle.

The verb is derived from the adjective.[5]

cognates

1 av 5 2022-12-04 01:13
muddy - Wiktionary https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/muddy#English

[show ▼]

Adjective

muddy (comparative muddier, superlative muddiest)

1. Covered or splashed with, or full of, mud (“wet soil”). [quotations ▼] [synonym ▲]
Synonym: (Scotland) clatchy
He slogged across the muddy field.
Take off your muddy boots before you come inside.
2. Of water or some other liquid: containing mud or (by extension) other sediment in
suspension; cloudy, turbid. [quotations ▼]
The previously limpid water was now muddy as a result of the struggle between the
alligator and the wild boar.
3. Of or relating to mud; also, having the characteristics of mud, especially in colour or taste.
[quotations ▼]
4. (euphemistic) Soiled with feces.
5. (archaic) Of an animal or plant: growing or living in mud. [quotations ▼]
6. (figuratively)
1. Dirty, filthy. [quotations ▼]
2. Not clear. [quotations ▼]
1. Of a colour: not bright: dirty, dull.
2. Of an image: blurry or dim.
3. Of light: cloudy, opaque.
4. Of sound (especially during performance, recording, or playback): indistinct, muffled.
The television picture is decent, but the sound is muddy.
5. Of speech, thinking, or writing: ambiguous or vague; or confused, incoherent, or
mixed-up; also, poorly expressed. [quotations ▼] [synonym ▲]
Synonym: muddled
6. (chiefly literary, poetic) Of the air: not fresh; impure, polluted. [quotations ▼]
3. Originally, morally or religiously wrong; corrupt, sinful; now, morally or legally dubious;
shady, sketchy. [quotations ▼]
4. (archaic) Of a person or their facial expression: angry, sad, or sulky.
5. (obsolete) Slightly drunk; tipsy. [quotations ▼] [synonyms ▲]
Synonyms: fuddled, muddled; see also Thesaurus:drunk

Derived terms

▪ muddily ▪ muddyish ▪ Muddy York

▪ muddiness ▪ Muddy Mississippi

Translations
±covered or splashed with, or full of, mud [show ▼]

±of water or some other liquid: containing mud or (by extension) other [show ▼]
sediment in suspension — See also translations at cloudy, turbid
±having the characteristics of mud, especially in colour or taste [show ▼]

±(euphemistic) soiled with feces [show ▼]

2 av 5 2022-12-04 01:13
muddy - Wiktionary https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/muddy#English

±of an animal or plant: growing or living in mud [show ▼]

dirty, filthy — see dirty, filthy

of a colour: not bright — see dirty, dull
of an image: dim or blurry — see blurry, dim
of light: cloudy, opaque — see cloudy, opaque
of sound: indistinct, muffled — see indistinct, muffled
of speech, thinking, or writing: ambiguous or vague; or confused, incoherent, or
mixed-up; also, poorly expressed — see incoherent, vague
of the air: not fresh — see impure, polluted
morally or religiously wrong — see corrupt, sinful
morally or legally dubious — see sketchy
of a person or their facial expression: angry, sad, or sulky — see angry, sad, sulky

Verb

muddy (third-person singular simple present muddies, present participle muddying,

simple past and past participle muddied)

1. (transitive)
1. To cover or splash (someone or something) with mud.
If you muddy your shoes don’t wear them inside.
2. To make (water or some other liquid) cloudy or turbid by stirring up mud or other
sediment. [quotations ▼]
3. (figuratively)
1. To confuse (a person or their thinking); to muddle. [quotations ▼]
The discussion only muddied their understanding of the subject.
2. To damage (a person or their reputation); to sully, to tarnish.
3. To make (a colour) dirty, dull, or muted.
The addition of the second batch of paint muddied the bright colours to a dull
and washed look.
4. To make (a matter, etc.) more complicated or unclear; to make a mess of
(something). [quotations ▼]
5. To make (something) impure; to contaminate.
4. (obsolete, figuratively) To cause or permit (someone or something) to become stuck in
mud; to mire. [quotations ▼]
2. (intransitive)
1. (also figuratively) Sometimes followed by up: to become covered or splashed with mud;
to become dirty or soiled.
2. Of water or some other liquid: to become cloudy or turbid.
3. (figuratively) To become contaminated or impure.

Derived terms

3 av 5 2022-12-04 01:13
muddy - Wiktionary https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/muddy#English

▪ muddier
▪ muddying (noun)
▪ muddy up
▪ muddy the waters

Translations
±to cover or splash (someone or something) with mud [show ▼]

±to make (water or some other liquid) cloudy or turbid by stirring up mud or [show ▼]
other sediment
to confuse (a person or their thinking) — see muddle
to damage (a person or their reputation) — see sully, tarnish
±to make (a colour) dirty, dull, or muted [show ▼]

±to make (a matter, etc.) more complicated or unclear; to make a mess of [show ▼]
(something)
to make (something) impure — see contaminate
±to become covered or splashed with mud; to become dirty or soiled [show ▼]

±of water or some other liquid: to become cloudy or turbid [show ▼]

±to become contaminated or impure [show ▼]

Etymology 2

From mud crab + -y (diminutive suffix).[6]

Noun

muddy (plural muddies)

1. (Australia (chiefly Queensland), informal) The edible mud crab or mangrove crab (Scylla
serrata).

Translations
Scylla serrata — see mud crab

References
1. ^ “muddī, adj. (https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/middle-english-dictionary/dictionary/MED28855)
”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
2. ^ “mud(de, n. (https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/middle-english-dictionary/dictionary/MED28854)
”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
3. ^ “-ī̆, suf. (https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/middle-english-dictionary/dictionary/MED21577)”, in
MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

4 av 5 2022-12-04 01:13
muddy - Wiktionary https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/muddy#English

4. ^ “muddy, adj. and n.2 (https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/123257)”, in OED Online , Oxford,

Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, September 2022; “muddy, adj. (https://web.archive.or
g/www.lexico.com/definition/muddy)”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press,
2019–2022.
5. ^ “muddy, v. (https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/123258)”, in OED Online , Oxford,
Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2022; “muddy, v. (https://web.archive.org/www.l
exico.com/definition/muddy)”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press,
2019–2022.
6. ^ “muddy, n.3 (https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/240139)”, in OED Online , Oxford,
Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2022.

Further reading
▪ mud on Wikipedia.
▪ mud crab on Wikipedia.
▪ Scylla serrata on Wikipedia.
▪ Scylla serrata on Wikimedia Commons.
▪ Scylla serrata on Wikispecies.
▪ muddy (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.

Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=muddy&oldid=70224633"

This page was last edited on 3 December 2022, at 22:19.

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using
this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

5 av 5 2022-12-04 01:13