mud
gb/mˈʌd/ us/mˈʌd/
A2
English
~ 9100
sár, sárdobálás, rágalom, kátrány, összesároz, glettel, hézagol, fúróiszap, fúrófolyadék
NOUN
A2
1
sár
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone]/[something] is in/covered in mud
The heavy rain turned the path into deep mud.
A heves eső mély sárrá változtatta az ösvényt.
The kids came home covered in mud after playing in the field.
A gyerekek csupa sárosan jöttek haza, miután a mezőn játszottak.
My boots got stuck in the mud near the riverbank.
Trucks had trouble crossing the mud on the unpaved road.
Please wipe the mud off your shoes before you come inside.
Learner examples
The dog is dirty with mud.
A kutya sáros.
There is a lot of mud on the road.
Sok sár van az úton.
Her feet sank into the soft mud.
He washed the mud from his hands.
Rain made the playground full of mud.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "mud" with "dust". "Mud" is wet and sticky, while "dust" is dry and powdery. Another mistake is saying "many mud" instead of "a lot of mud"; "mud" is an uncountable noun.
Meaning
soft, wet earth or soil
Collocations
thick mud
|wade through mud
|covered in mud
|caked in mud
|mud puddle
|track mud into [a place]
Synonyms
wet dirt (More informal description; less specific than "mud" and not used as a fixed noun.)
Antonyms
dry ground (Describes earth without water, the opposite physical condition of mud.)
Themes
nature
|weather
|daily life
|travel
|daily_life
Definition
Wet earth that is soft and sticky because it has water in it.
Soft, wet earth or soil, formed when dirt or clay is mixed with water.
NOUN
B2
2
sárdobálás
B2
rágalom
B2
Usage pattern:
to throw/sling mud at [someone]
Both candidates spent the debate slinging mud instead of discussing real issues.
Mindkét jelölt sárdobálással töltötte a vitát, ahelyett hogy érdemi kérdésekről beszélt volna.
Social media makes it easy to throw mud at public figures without any proof.
A közösségi média megkönnyíti, hogy bizonyíték nélkül sarat dobáljanak közszereplőkre.
The article was full of mud but offered no solid evidence.
She refuses to get involved in political mud and personal attacks.
In the final week of the election, the mud really started to fly.
Learner examples
The two politicians are throwing mud at each other.
A két politikus sarat dobál egymásra.
He is tired of all the mud in the news about him.
Elege van abból a sok sárdobálásból, ami a hírekben megjelenik róla.
They started to sling mud instead of talking calmly.
Her opponent spread mud about her private life.
The internet can be full of mud and rumors.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this sense is literal and imagine physical mud. In phrases like "sling mud" or "throw mud", the word often means "say bad things", not "throw wet earth". Context about reputation or politics usually signals the figurative meaning.
Meaning
harmful talk damaging reputation
Collocations
sling mud
|throw mud
|political mud
|mud-slinging campaign
|covered in mud (reputation)
Synonyms
slander (More formal and often legal; focuses on spoken lies, while "mud" is more general and informal.)
Antonyms
praise (Instead of attacking someone's reputation, "praise" speaks well of them.)
Themes
communication
|politics
|media
Definition
Bad things people say about someone to make others think badly of that person.
Untrue or unfair things said about someone in order to damage their reputation, especially in public or in politics.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
3
kátrány
B2
Usage pattern:
[something] tastes/looks like mud
The office coffee is absolute mud; I can barely drink it.
Az irodai kávé kész kátrány; alig bírom meginni.
After sitting on the burner all day, the coffee turned to mud.
Miután egész nap a melegítőlapon állt, a kávé kátrányszerűvé sűrűsödött.
He took one sip and said, "Who made this mud?"
The cheap instant stuff tastes like mud compared to fresh espresso.
I’d rather drink water than that mud they serve on the train.
Learner examples
This coffee is like mud. It is terrible.
Ez a kávé olyan, mint a kátrány. Borzalmas.
The drink looks like mud and smells bad.
Az ital úgy néz ki, mint a sár, és rossz szaga van.
I do not want this mud; I want real coffee.
He made strong mud in the old coffee machine.
She joked that the hotel coffee was mud.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "mud" here is the literal dirt. In food or drink contexts, especially with coffee, it often means the drink is very bad. This is informal and should not be used in polite or formal reviews.
Meaning
very thick, bad-tasting coffee
Collocations
this coffee is mud
|tastes like mud
|looks like mud
|a cup of mud
Synonyms
sludge (Informal metaphor; can describe very thick, unpleasant drinks or liquids in general, not only coffee.)
Antonyms
smooth coffee (Describes coffee that is easy to drink and pleasant, the opposite experience of "mud" coffee.)
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
Coffee that is too strong and tastes bad, often dark and heavy like mud.
Very strong, thick, and usually bad-tasting coffee or a similar hot drink.
VERB
B2
4
összesároz
B1
Usage pattern:
to mud [something]/[a surface]
The children mudded the kitchen floor when they ran in from the yard.
Try not to mud the seats when you get in the car.
The workers accidentally mudded the sidewalk while fixing the pipes.
Hikers often mud the trail shelters after walking through wet fields.
Please take off your boots so you don't mud the carpet.
Learner examples
Do not mud the clean floor with your shoes.
The kids mudded the hall when they came in.
Rain can mud your clothes very fast.
He mudded his boots in the field.
She was afraid the dog would mud the sofa.
Common mistake:
This verb is much less common than the noun "mud" and many speakers prefer "get [something] muddy" or "cover [something] in mud". Learners may overuse "mud" as a verb; it can sound unusual in everyday speech.
Meaning
to cover something with mud
Collocations
mud the floor
|mud [someone's] shoes
|completely mud [something]
Synonyms
dirty (More general; "dirty" can be used with any kind of dirt, while "mud" is specific to wet earth.)
Antonyms
clean (Means to remove dirt or mud, the opposite of putting mud on something.)
Themes
daily life
|cleaning
|daily_life
Definition
To make something dirty by putting mud on it.
To cover or dirty something with mud.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
5
Usage pattern:
to mud [a wall]/[a joint]
After hanging the drywall, they taped and mudded all the seams.
Miután felrakták a gipszkartont, az összes illesztést leszalagozták és beglettelték.
You need to mud the screw holes before you start painting.
Festés előtt be kell glettelned a csavarlyukakat.
The contractor mudded the ceiling twice to get a smooth finish.
Learner examples
He will mud the new wall tomorrow.
Holnap begletteli az új falat.
They taped and mudded the joints in the room.
A szobában leszalagozták és beglettelték az illesztéseket.
You must mud the cracks before you paint.
The worker mudded the holes in the ceiling.
We learned how to mud drywall in the class.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this is a technical construction verb used mainly in North American English. In general English, it is better to say "plaster a wall" or "fill the joints" unless talking specifically about drywall work.
Meaning
to apply joint compound
Collocations
mud the drywall
|mud the seams
|tape and mud
|mud the joints
Synonyms
plaster (More general and slightly more common; can refer to both the material and the action of applying it.)
Antonyms
sand (In this context, means to smooth the dried compound with sandpaper, the opposite step after mudding.)
Themes
construction
|home
|housing
|work
Definition
To put a thick white paste on a wall or ceiling to make it smooth, especially when building or fixing a house.
In building and repair work, to apply joint compound, plaster, or a similar thick paste to a surface such as drywall.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
6
fúróiszap
C1
fúrófolyadék
C1
Usage pattern:
[someone] circulates/pumps mud in the well
The engineers adjusted the mud weight to control the pressure in the well.
A mérnökök módosították a fúróiszap sűrűségét, hogy szabályozzák a nyomást a kútban.
If the mud returns slow down, it can be a sign of a problem in the hole.
Ha lelassul a fúróiszap visszaáramlása, az a furatban lévő problémára utalhat.
They lost a large amount of mud into a fractured formation overnight.
Learner examples
They use special mud when they drill for oil.
Speciális fúróiszapot használnak, amikor olaj után fúrnak.
The company changed the mud to fix a problem in the well.
A vállalat lecserélte a fúróiszapot, hogy megoldjon egy problémát a kútban.
Workers watch the mud carefully during drilling.
Thick mud comes up from the hole with the rock pieces.
Engineers talk about the weight of the mud.
Common mistake:
Outside technical oil and gas contexts, "mud" means wet earth. In drilling texts, however, "mud" almost always refers to the engineered fluid, not natural soil.
Meaning
drilling fluid used in wells
Collocations
drilling mud
|mud weight
|mud system
|pump the mud
|circulate the mud
Synonyms
drilling fluid (Standard technical term; more formal and precise than simply calling it "mud".)
Antonyms
clear water (In contrast to thick drilling mud, clear water is sometimes used as a simple drilling fluid.)
Themes
engineering
|energy
|industry
|technology
|science
|work
Definition
A thick liquid used when drilling for oil or gas that cools the drill and brings pieces of rock to the top.
A specially formulated thick fluid circulated in a borehole to cool and clean the drill bit, carry cuttings to the surface, and control pressure during drilling operations.
Grammar
Dictionary form
mud
IPA
GB/mˈʌd/
US/mˈʌd/
Syllables & stress
mud (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (mud)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: mud
- Plural: mud
Word family
Expressions
as clear as mud
1/ˈæz klˈɪɹ ˈæz mˈʌd/
idiom
informal
very unclear or confusing
Very difficult to understand; not clear at all.
Examples
- His explanation of the tax rules was as clear as mud.
- The instructions are as clear as mud, so no one can follow them.
- After that lecture, the topic is still as clear as mud to me.
as happy as a pig in mud
1/ˈæz hˈæpi ˈæz ə pˈɪɡ ˈɪn mˈʌd/
idiom
informal
extremely happy and content
Very happy and enjoying the situation a lot.
Examples
- Give him a good book and a quiet room, and he's as happy as a pig in mud.
- The kids were as happy as pigs in mud playing in the sand all day.
- She looked as happy as a pig in mud when she started her new job.
drag someone's name through the mud
1/dɹˈæɡ sˈʌmwˌʌnz nˈeɪm θɹˈu ðə mˈʌd/
idiom
severely damage someone's reputation
To talk about someone in a very bad way so that many people lose respect for them.
Examples
- The tabloid dragged her name through the mud with false stories.
- He apologized for dragging his colleague's name through the mud during the meeting.
- They dragged his name through the mud even though he was later found innocent.
mud sticks
1/mˈʌd stˈɪks/
idiom
accusations are remembered
When bad things are said about someone, people often remember them, even if they are not true.
Examples
- He was found innocent, but mud sticks and some people still doubt him.
- Politicians know that mud sticks, so they fear even false rumors.
- Once the story is online, mud sticks no matter what you say later.
mud-slinging
1/mˈʌd slˈɪŋɪŋ/
idiom
public attacks on reputation
The act of saying bad and often untrue things about someone, especially in politics, to hurt their reputation.
Examples
- Voters are tired of all the mud-slinging in this campaign.
- The debate quickly turned into childish mud-slinging.
- She quit politics because of the constant mud-slinging in the media.
one's name is mud
1/wˈʌnz nˈeɪm ˈɪz mˈʌd/
idiom
informal
to be very unpopular/disgraced
To be very unpopular or not trusted, especially because you did something wrong.
Examples
- After missing that deadline, my name is mud with the boss.
- His name is mud in this town after the scandal.
- If you lie to your clients, your name will be mud in the industry.
sling mud
1/slˈɪŋ mˈʌd/
idiom
criticize someone to harm reputation
To say bad things about someone, especially in public or in politics, so that other people think badly of them.
Examples
- Instead of slinging mud, the candidates should talk about their plans.
- The article slings mud at the mayor without giving real facts.
- She refuses to sling mud, even when her opponents attack her.
stick in the mud
1/stˈɪk ˈɪn ðə mˈʌd/
idiom
informal
person who dislikes change or fun
A person who does not like new things, change, or fun activities and prefers to stay with old, safe ways.
Examples
- Don't be such a stick in the mud; come to the party with us.
- She used to be a stick in the mud, but now she loves trying new things.
- He's too much of a stick in the mud to go traveling alone.