muddy
gb/mˈʌdi/ us/mˈʌdi/
A2
Anh
~ 7200
Các nghĩa
0 nghĩa
adjective
A2
property
1
covered in or full of mud
Wet and dirty because of mud or soft earth.
Mẫu sử dụng:
[something] is muddy
Lỗi thường gặp:
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.
Từ đồng nghĩa
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.)
Từ trái nghĩa
clean (Describes something free from dirt or mud.)
|
dry (Opposite in terms of moisture; often contrasts with wet, muddy ground or clothes.)
Cụm từ đi kèm
muddy boots
|muddy shoes
|muddy field
|muddy path
|muddy road
|muddy water
Chủ đề
daily life
|environment
|weather
|travel
|daily_life
|nature
Ví dụ
- 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.
Ví dụ cho người học
- 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.
Mẫu sử dụng:
[something] looks/sounds muddy
Lỗi thường gặp:
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.
Từ đồng nghĩa
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.)
Từ trái nghĩa
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.)
Cụm từ đi kèm
muddy colors
|muddy sound
|muddy mix
|muddy recording
|muddy lighting
|muddy picture
Chủ đề
arts
|technology
|daily life
|media
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Ví dụ
- 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.
Ví dụ cho người học
- 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.
Mẫu sử dụng:
[explanation/idea] is muddy
Lỗi thường gặp:
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.
Từ đồng nghĩa
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.)
Từ trái nghĩa
clear (Direct opposite; ideas or explanations that are easy to understand.)
|
coherent (Stresses ideas that are logically connected, unlike muddy, disorganized thoughts.)
Cụm từ đi kèm
muddy thinking
|muddy explanation
|muddy argument
|muddy writing
|muddy message
|muddy details
Chủ đề
communication
|education
|thinking
|work
Ví dụ
- 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.
Ví dụ cho người học
- 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.
Động từ
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.
Mẫu sử dụng:
to muddy [something]
Lỗi thường gặp:
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.*
Từ đồng nghĩa
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.)
Từ trái nghĩa
clean (Opposite action of removing dirt or mud.)
|
rinse (Focuses on washing something with water to remove dirt, including mud.)
Cụm từ đi kèm
muddy the floor
|muddy the carpet
|muddy the water
|muddy the shoes
|muddy the road
Chủ đề
environment
|daily life
|cleaning
|daily_life
Ví dụ
- 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.
Ví dụ cho người học
- 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.
Động từ
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.
Mẫu sử dụng:
to muddy [the issue/situation/debate]
Lỗi thường gặp:
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.*
Từ đồng nghĩa
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.)
Từ trái nghĩa
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.)
Cụm từ đi kèm
muddy the waters
|muddy the issue
|muddy the debate
|muddy the picture
|muddy the facts
Chủ đề
communication
|politics
|work
|law
Ví dụ
- 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.
Ví dụ cho người học
- 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.
Ngữ pháp
Dạng từ điển
muddy
IPA
GB/mˈʌdi/
US/mˈʌdi/
Âm tiết và trọng âm
muddy (1 âm tiết)
Stress on 1st syllable (muddy)
Các dạng từ
Adjective
- Base: muddy
- Comparative: muddier
- Superlative: muddiest
Verb
- Base: muddy
- 3rd Person Singular: muddies
- Present Participle: muddying
- Past: muddied
Họ từ
Forms
muddies
verb
muddying
verb
muddied
verb
muddier
adjective
muddiest
adjective
Core family
mud
noun A2
Related words
muddiness
noun
muddily
adverb
Cách diễn đạt
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.
Ví dụ
- 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.
Ví dụ
- 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.
Ví dụ
- The trucks really muddied up the yard during the storm.
- Adding too many details will just muddy up your explanation.