muddy
gb/mˈʌdi/ us/mˈʌdi/
A2
Inglés
~ 7200
Acepciones
0 acepciones
adjective
A2
property
1
covered in or full of mud
Wet and dirty because of mud or soft earth.
Patrón de uso:
[something] is muddy
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes say *"full of muds"* instead of using *muddy*. Use *muddy* before a noun ("muddy shoes"), not *muds shoes*. Also, do not confuse *muddy* with *rainy*: *a muddy road* describes the ground, *a rainy day* describes the weather.
Sinónimos
mud-covered (More explicitly describes being covered in a layer of mud; slightly less common in everyday speech.)
|
dirty (More general; can describe any kind of unclean state, not only mud.)
Antónimos
clean (Describes something free from dirt or mud.)
|
dry (Opposite in terms of moisture; often contrasts with wet, muddy ground or clothes.)
Colocaciones
muddy boots
|muddy shoes
|muddy field
|muddy path
|muddy road
|muddy water
Temas
daily life
|environment
|weather
|travel
|daily_life
|nature
Ejemplos
- Take off your muddy boots before you come inside.
- The kids came back from the park with muddy hands and faces.
- After the heavy rain, the path to the house was so muddy that cars got stuck.
- The dog left muddy paw prints all over the kitchen floor.
- We had to wash our muddy clothes as soon as we got home from the hike.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- My shoes are muddy after the rain.
- The children play in the muddy yard.
- The road is muddy, so we must walk slowly.
- The dog jumps on the bed with muddy feet.
- I wash my muddy pants in the sink.
adjective
B1
property
2
dull or unclear in color or sound
Not clear or bright in color or sound; dull and hard to see or hear well.
Patrón de uso:
[something] looks/sounds muddy
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use *muddy* only for physical dirt and are unsure about using it for color or sound. It is correct to say *muddy sound* or *muddy colors* when something is unclear or dull, even if there is no actual mud.
Sinónimos
dull (Emphasizes lack of brightness or sharpness; *muddy* suggests dullness plus a dirty or mixed quality.)
|
muffled (Used mainly for sound; suggests being blocked or covered, while *muddy* can apply to both sound and color.)
Antónimos
clear (Describes sound or color that is easy to hear or see, the opposite of muddy.)
|
vivid (Describes bright, strong colors, in contrast with muddy, dull colors.)
Colocaciones
muddy colors
|muddy sound
|muddy mix
|muddy recording
|muddy lighting
|muddy picture
Temas
arts
|technology
|daily life
|media
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Ejemplos
- The photo is too dark and muddy to print in the magazine.
- The guitarist turned down the bass because the sound was getting muddy.
- The painting looked flat and muddy until the artist added a few bright highlights.
- On this old TV, the colors are muddy and washed out.
- The recording is a bit muddy, so it’s hard to pick out the vocals.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The colors on this screen are muddy.
- The singer’s voice sounds muddy on my phone.
- This picture is muddy and not very clear.
- The movie looked muddy on the old TV.
- The sound is muddy, so I cannot hear the words well.
adjective
B2
property
3
unclear or confusing in meaning
Hard to understand because it is not clear or is badly explained.
Patrón de uso:
[explanation/idea] is muddy
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes overuse *confusing* and do not use *muddy* for unclear ideas. *Muddy* is good when the problem is bad structure or poor explanation. Do not say *“I feel muddy”* for emotions; use *confused* or *uncertain* instead.
Sinónimos
confusing (General word; *muddy* suggests confusion like something mixed and unclear, often because of poor explanation.)
|
unclear (Neutral description; *muddy* can sound more negative, hinting at badly organized ideas.)
Antónimos
clear (Direct opposite; ideas or explanations that are easy to understand.)
|
coherent (Stresses ideas that are logically connected, unlike muddy, disorganized thoughts.)
Colocaciones
muddy thinking
|muddy explanation
|muddy argument
|muddy writing
|muddy message
|muddy details
Temas
communication
|education
|thinking
|work
Ejemplos
- The report’s conclusion is muddy and doesn’t answer the main question.
- His explanation of the new policy was so muddy that everyone left the meeting confused.
- The article starts well but becomes muddy in the middle and hard to follow.
- Her thinking on this issue is still muddy; she needs more time to sort it out.
- The instructions are muddy, so many users make the same mistake.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The teacher’s answer was muddy, so I still do not understand.
- The rules are muddy, and people do not know what to do.
- His ideas are muddy and not easy to follow.
- The book is good, but the last chapter is muddy.
- The plan is muddy; we need a clearer one.
Verbo
B1
action
4
make something covered or filled with mud
To make something dirty and brown by putting mud or soft earth on or in it.
Patrón de uso:
to muddy [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners rarely use *muddy* as a verb and instead say *make dirty with mud*. It is natural to say *muddy the floor* or *muddy the water*. Remember that the past form is *muddied*, with a double d: *The rain muddied the path.*
Sinónimos
dirty (General term; *muddy* is specific to making something dirty with mud or a mud-like substance.)
|
soil (More formal; often used about clothes or surfaces, not specifically with mud.)
Antónimos
clean (Opposite action of removing dirt or mud.)
|
rinse (Focuses on washing something with water to remove dirt, including mud.)
Colocaciones
muddy the floor
|muddy the carpet
|muddy the water
|muddy the shoes
|muddy the road
Temas
environment
|daily life
|cleaning
|daily_life
Ejemplos
- The truck’s tires muddied the driveway after the storm.
- Please don’t muddy the floor; take off your shoes at the door.
- Heavy construction has muddied the river, making the water cloudy and brown.
- The children muddied their clothes playing football in the rain.
- Cows muddied the path as they walked back to the barn.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The kids muddy the floor with their shoes.
- Rain and cars muddy the road.
- Do not muddy the carpet with your boots.
- The cows muddy the river when they walk in it.
- My dog muddied my pants when he jumped on me.
Verbo
B2
action
5
make an issue or idea less clear
To make a problem or idea harder to understand by adding extra or confusing information.
Patrón de uso:
to muddy [the issue/situation/debate]
Error frecuente:
Learners may understand the idiom *muddy the waters* but not realize *muddy* can be used similarly with other nouns (*muddy the issue*, *muddy the debate*). Also, do not say *“make it more muddy”* about ideas; use the verb *muddy* directly: *This will muddy the issue.*
Sinónimos
confuse (General word; *muddy* often suggests making something that was clear become confused, especially on purpose or by adding too much detail.)
|
obscure (More formal; often used for hiding the truth; *muddy* is more vivid and common in spoken language.)
Antónimos
clarify (Means to make something easier to understand, the direct opposite of muddy in this sense.)
|
simplify (Means to make something less complicated, while *muddy* makes it more complicated.)
Colocaciones
muddy the waters
|muddy the issue
|muddy the debate
|muddy the picture
|muddy the facts
Temas
communication
|politics
|work
|law
Ejemplos
- Bringing up old personal problems will only muddy the issue.
- The company’s vague statement muddied the waters instead of answering people’s questions.
- Adding too many technical details will just muddy the discussion.
- Politicians sometimes muddy the debate by changing the subject.
- Her comment muddied the picture and left everyone unsure what the real problem was.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- That long answer muddies the issue.
- His story muddies the waters and people feel confused.
- Do not muddy the discussion with extra problems.
- The lawyer tried to muddy the facts in court.
- Bringing in old stories muddies the debate.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
muddy
AFI
GB/mˈʌdi/
US/mˈʌdi/
Sílabas y acento
muddy (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (muddy)
Formas de la palabra
Adjective
- Base: muddy
- Comparative: muddier
- Superlative: muddiest
Verb
- Base: muddy
- 3rd Person Singular: muddies
- Present Participle: muddying
- Past: muddied
Familia de palabras
Forms
muddies
verb
muddying
verb
muddied
verb
muddier
adjective
muddiest
adjective
Core family
mud
noun A2
Related words
muddiness
noun
muddily
adverb
Expresiones
muddy the issue
1/mˈʌdi ðə ˈɪʃu/
fixed phrase
make a specific problem less clear
To make one particular question or problem harder to understand or solve by adding extra or confusing ideas.
Ejemplos
- Bringing up money right now will only muddy the issue.
- Let’s not muddy the issue with personal attacks.
muddy the waters
1/mˈʌdi ðə wˈɔtɚz/
idiom
make a situation more confusing
To make a situation or problem less clear and more confusing, often by adding extra or wrong information.
Ejemplos
- Releasing half-true information at this stage will only muddy the waters.
- Instead of clarifying the rules, the new memo has muddied the waters for everyone.
muddy up
1/mˈʌdi ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
make something dirty or unclear
To make something dirty with mud, or to make an idea, story, or situation less clear.
Ejemplos
- The trucks really muddied up the yard during the storm.
- Adding too many details will just muddy up your explanation.