muddy
mud·dy/ˈmʌdi/adjective, verb, noun
muddy is spelled M-U-D-D-Y: 5 letters and 2 syllables (mud·dy). It appears 4.0 times per million words in written English, the 12,940th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, muddy means “Covered or splashed with, or full of, mud (“wet soil”)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in muddy?
| Letters | 5: M-U-D-D-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: mud·dy |
| In writing | 4.0 times per million words; the 12,940th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is muddy?
Muddy appears 4.0 times per million words in written English, the 12,940th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce muddy?
- US /ˈmʌdi/
Muddy has 2 syllables, split mud·dy in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-muddy.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with muddy?
4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as muddy from its last stressed vowel (/ʌdi/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of muddy
- muddier comparative
- muddiest superlative
- muddies present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- muddying participle, present
- muddied participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does muddy mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Covered or splashed with, or full of, mud (“wet soil”).
He slogged across the muddy field.
- 2
Of water or some other liquid: containing mud or (by extension) other sediment in suspension; cloudy, turbid.
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.
- 4
Soiled with feces.
- 5
archaicOf an animal or plant: growing or living in mud.
- 6
Dirty, filthy.
- 7
Not clear.
- 8
Of a colour: not bright: dirty, dull.
verb
- 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.
- 3
To confuse (a person or their thinking); to muddle.
The discussion only muddied their understanding of the subject.
- 4
To damage (a person or their reputation); to sully, to tarnish.
- 5
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.
- 6
To make (a matter, etc.) more complicated or unclear; to make a mess of (something).
- 7
To make (something) impure; to contaminate.
- 8
obsoleteTo cause or permit (someone or something) to become stuck in mud; to mire.
noun
- 1
AustraliainformalThe edible mud crab or mangrove crab (Scylla serrata).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Muddy in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | boueux, vaseux |
| German | schlammig, matschig |
| Portuguese | barroso, lodoso, lamacento, barrento, enlameado , turvo |
| Spanish | barroso, enfangado, fangoso, lodoso, turbio , pantanoso |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does muddy come from?
The adjective is derived from Late Middle English muddi, moddy, muddy (“covered with or full of mud, muddy”), from mud, mudde (“mud; turbid water”) + -i (suffix forming adjectives). 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). Doublet of muddle. The verb is derived from the adjective.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).