muddy
/ˈmʌdi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmʌdi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmə-dē/ (ame, mw) · /ˈmʌd.i/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmʌd.i/ (ame, ipa)
muddy — adjective
- muddypositive
- muddiercomparative
- muddiestsuperlative
1. soaked or covered with the wet, sticky dirt from the ground
soaked or covered with the wet, sticky dirt from the ground
The farmer's boots were completely muddy after working in the field all morning.
linking verb + muddy after an action or event
A muddy dog ran into the house and jumped onto the sofa.
before-noun position for a muddy object
After the storm, the road was so muddy that the car got stuck.
The hiker wiped her muddy hands on a towel before opening the map.
The children's clothes were muddy from playing outside after the rain.
文法句型
muddy + noun
be / get / become + muddy
2. having a colour that is dim and lacks the freshness or purity of the original sh
having a colour that is dim and lacks the freshness or purity of the original shade, as if earth or grey has been mixed in
The room was painted a muddy brown that made it feel smaller.
muddy + colour name describing a dull shade
The gardener wore a sweater in a muddy green shade for the autumn work.
The old photograph had turned a muddy yellow over the years.
With muddy grey clouds covering the sky, the afternoon felt gloomy.
The painter mixed too many colours together and ended up with a muddy brown.
文法句型
muddy + colour name
turn / become + muddy + colour
用法筆記
Muddy colours are typically mixed colours whose original brightness has been lost — often from over-mixing paints, ageing materials, or poor lighting conditions.
常見錯誤
3. of a liquid such as water — not see-through because fine particles of dirt or se
of a liquid such as water — not see-through because fine particles of dirt or sediment are floating inside it
The river ran muddy after the heavy rainfall upstream.
resultative: run + muddy (linking verb pattern)
The farmer gave the cows a bucket of water that looked muddy and dirty.
After the flood, the well water turned muddy and undrinkable.
The pond water was so muddy that the children could not see the fish.
The teacher poured out the muddy liquid that had been sitting in the vase.
文法句型
run / turn / become + muddy
muddy + liquid noun
用法筆記
Typically used for natural bodies of water (rivers, lakes, ponds) or water affected by the weather. 'Turbid' is a more formal synonym, common in scientific writing.
常見錯誤
4. lacking clarity so that the intended message or reasoning is difficult to follow
lacking clarity so that the intended message or reasoning is difficult to follow or understand
The politician's explanation was muddy and failed to answer the question.
be + muddy for an unclear explanation
The student's argument became muddy when he tried to defend two opposite positions.
The report's conclusions are muddy — nobody can tell what was actually found.
After the long discussion, the plan remained muddy with no clear next steps.
The instructions were so muddy that half the class did the wrong assignment.
文法句型
be / remain + muddy
muddy + abstract noun
用法筆記
Unlike 'confused', which typically describes a person's mental state ('I am confused'), 'muddy' describes the thing itself — the explanation, argument, or idea that lacks clarity.
常見錯誤
muddy — verb
- muddypresent simple I / you / we / they
- muddies3rd person singular
- muddying-ing form
- muddiedpast simple
1. to make something dirty by splashing or spreading mud over its surface
to make something dirty by splashing or spreading mud over its surface
The dog muddied the clean floor by running in from the garden.
transitive: muddy + direct object (the thing that gets dirty)
The construction trucks muddied the road during the rainy season.
While fixing the fence, the farmer accidentally muddied his new trousers.
The children muddied their clothes during the football game after the rain.
The heavy rain muddied the path, making it hard for walkers to pass.
文法句型
muddy + noun phrase
be muddied by + noun phrase
用法筆記
Unlike 'stain' (which implies permanent discolouration), muddied things can usually be washed clean. Often used in the passive construction: 'The floor was muddied by the dog.'
常見錯誤
2. to introduce confusion or uncertainty into a situation, argument, or issue that
to introduce confusion or uncertainty into a situation, argument, or issue that was previously simpler or clearer
New evidence has muddied the case rather than making it clearer.
figurative: muddy the case / issue / situation
The lawyer's questions were designed to muddy the facts of the case.
Adding more details at this point will only muddy the discussion.
The media coverage muddied the public's understanding of the issue.
Bringing up unrelated topics during the meeting only muddied the debate.
文法句型
muddy + abstract noun phrase
muddy the waters
用法筆記
This sense often appears in the idiomatic expression 'muddy the waters' (to make a situation more confusing). The direct object is always an abstract concept (the case, the issue, the discussion) — never a person's mind or feelings.