mud
Americannoun
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wet, soft earth or earthy matter, as on the ground after rain, at the bottom of a pond, or along the banks of a river; mire.
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Informal. scandalous or malicious assertions or information.
The opposition threw a lot of mud at our candidate.
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Slang. brewed coffee, especially when strong or bitter.
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a mixture of chemicals and other substances pumped into a drilling rig chiefly as a lubricant for the bit and shaft.
verb (used with object)
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to cover, smear, or spatter with mud.
to mud the walls of a hut.
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to stir up the mud or sediment in.
waders mudding the clear water.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a fine-grained soft wet deposit that occurs on the ground after rain, at the bottom of ponds, lakes, etc
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informal slander or defamation
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informal not at all clear
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to disgrace or defame someone
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informal a humorous drinking toast
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informal someone is disgraced
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informal to slander; vilify
verb
Other Word Forms
- unmudded adjective
Etymology
Origin of mud
1300–50; Middle English mudde, mode < Middle Low German mudde. mother 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Adams, 63, who has been contacted for comment, said in October that her name had been "dragged through the mud" and that the corporation had not given her the details of the allegations.
From BBC
Ms. DuBois, a feminist scholar and professor of history at University of California, Los Angeles, pulls Stanton’s reputation out of the mud by putting her words and actions into historical context.
In the city of Uba, a two-hour drive away, residents were covered in mud as they cleared sludge from a river that had burst its banks.
From Barron's
Even Maekar’s political analysis cracks when confronted with the visual of Baelor standing in the mud with borrowed armor, fighting off Duncan’s foes, and of the assembled commons cheering for the hedge knight.
From Salon
She had all kinds of girl stuff setting around; corn shuck dolls, mud pies, and pretty bottles.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
