# mud

/ˈməd/ (US) · /mˈʌd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mud
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. wet earth

noun · CEFR A2

soft, wet earth or dirt.

For teachers: a liquid or semi-liquid mixture of water and any combination of soil, silt, and clay. Uncountable in its general sense.

- The children came inside covered in mud after playing in the garden during the rain.
- Heavy vehicles had churned the unpaved access road into a thick, impassable slurry of mud that delayed the delivery of essential supplies.

### 2. insults or slander

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

unfair or dishonest things people say to make someone look bad, especially in politics.

For teachers: willfully abusive or slanderous remarks, typically used in the context of political campaigns to damage a rival's reputation.

- The two politicians spent the whole debate throwing mud at each other instead of talking about the issues.
- Despite the lack of evidence, the tabloid continued to sling mud at the candidate, hoping the scandal would stick in the minds of undecided voters.

### 4. construction material

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical · Informal

a wet mixture used in building, like wet concrete or the paste used to smooth walls.

For teachers: any of various fluid or semi-fluid substances used in construction, such as drywall joint compound or wet concrete.

- The builder applied a layer of mud to the wall to hide the gaps between the boards.
- The crew worked quickly to spread the mud before the heat caused the concrete to set prematurely in the summer sun.

### 5. to make dirty

verb · CEFR B2

to cover something with mud or make it dirty.

For teachers: to cover or soil with mud; often used figuratively to describe making a situation or topic unclear.

- Be careful not to mud your clean shoes when you walk across the field.
- The witness's conflicting testimony served only to mud the waters, making it difficult for the jury to determine the sequence of events.

## Examples

- The children got mud all over their new shoes.
- After the heavy rain, the hiking trail turned into thick mud that made walking very difficult.
- The political campaign quickly descended into a series of personal attacks, with both candidates dragging each other through the mud to win over undecided voters.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.