mud
soft, wet earth or soil
Wet earth that is soft and sticky because it has water in it.
[someone]/[something] is in/covered in mud
- The heavy rain turned the path into deep mud.
- The kids came home covered in mud after playing in the field.
- 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.
- The dog is dirty with mud.
- There is a lot of mud on the road.
- Her feet sank into the soft mud.
- He washed the mud from his hands.
- Rain made the playground full of mud.
harmful talk damaging reputation
Bad things people say about someone to make others think badly of that person.
to throw/sling mud at [someone]
- Both candidates spent the debate slinging mud instead of discussing real issues.
- Social media makes it easy to throw mud at public figures without any proof.
- 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.
- The two politicians are throwing mud at each other.
- He is tired of all the mud in the news about him.
- 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.
very thick, bad-tasting coffee
Coffee that is too strong and tastes bad, often dark and heavy like mud.
[something] tastes/looks like mud
- The office coffee is absolute mud; I can barely drink it.
- After sitting on the burner all day, the coffee turned to mud.
- 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.
- This coffee is like mud. It is terrible.
- The drink looks like mud and smells bad.
- 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.
to cover something with mud
To make something dirty by putting mud on it.
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.
- 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.
to apply joint compound
To put a thick white paste on a wall or ceiling to make it smooth, especially when building or fixing a house.
to mud [a wall]/[a joint]
- After hanging the drywall, they taped and mudded all the seams.
- You need to mud the screw holes before you start painting.
- The contractor mudded the ceiling twice to get a smooth finish.
- He will mud the new wall tomorrow.
- They taped and mudded the joints in the room.
- 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.
drilling fluid used in wells
A thick liquid used when drilling for oil or gas that cools the drill and brings pieces of rock to the top.
[someone] circulates/pumps mud in the well
- The engineers adjusted the mud weight to control the pressure in the well.
- If the mud returns slow down, it can be a sign of a problem in the hole.
- They lost a large amount of mud into a fractured formation overnight.
- They use special mud when they drill for oil.
- The company changed the mud to fix a problem in the well.
- 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.
- Base: mud
- Plural: mud
as clear as mud
1very unclear or confusing
Very difficult to understand; not clear at all.
- 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
1extremely happy and content
Very happy and enjoying the situation a lot.
- 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
1severely damage someone's reputation
To talk about someone in a very bad way so that many people lose respect for them.
- 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
1accusations are remembered
When bad things are said about someone, people often remember them, even if they are not true.
- 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
1public attacks on reputation
The act of saying bad and often untrue things about someone, especially in politics, to hurt their reputation.
- 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
1to be very unpopular/disgraced
To be very unpopular or not trusted, especially because you did something wrong.
- 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
1criticize someone to harm reputation
To say bad things about someone, especially in public or in politics, so that other people think badly of them.
- 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
1person 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.
- 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.