muddy

views updated

mud·dy / ˈmədē/ • adj. (-di·er, -di·est) covered in or full of mud: they changed their muddy boots it was very muddy underfoot. ∎  (of a liquid) discolored and made cloudy by mud. ∎  (of a color) dull and dirty-looking: the original colors were blurred into muddy pink and yellow. ∎  (of a sound, esp. in music) not clearly defined: an awful muddy sound that renders his vocal incoherent. ∎  confused, vague, or illogical: some sentences are so muddy that their meaning can only be guessed.• v. (-dies, -died) [tr.] cause to become covered in or full of mud: the linoleum floor was muddied | [as adj.] (muddied) cold, muddied feet. ∎  make (something) hard to perceive or understand: the first year's results muddy rather than clarify the situation.PHRASES: muddy the waters make an issue or a situation more confusing by introducing complications.DERIVATIVES: mud·di·ly / ˈmədl-ē/ adv.mud·di·ness n.

More From encyclopedia.com