What does sloughy mean?
Sloughy describes ground that is muddy, miry, soft, and saturated with water. The word is especially associated with rural paths, fields, and other places where wet soil can make walking or driving difficult. Rather than simply referring to any wet surface, sloughy conveys a mixture of mud, moisture, and loss of firmness. It can therefore appear in phrases such as “sloughy ground” or “sloughy mud,” where it emphasizes the poor condition of the terrain. Although still understood in British and American English, the word is relatively uncommon and sounds more traditional or descriptive than contemporary alternatives such as muddy, boggy, or waterlogged. Its usefulness lies in its ability to evoke the distinctly messy, difficult-to-traverse quality of earth that has become thoroughly saturated by rain.
adjectiveMuddy, miry, or covered with wet soil. It may also describe ground that is soft and difficult to traverse.
- Muddy, miry, or covered with wet soil.
- Soft and waterlogged, especially with ground that is difficult to cross.
"The path became sloughy after several days of heavy rain."
"Heavy vehicles left deep tracks in the sloughy ground."
"They took a narrow path across the sloughy field."
"The rain had transformed the meadow into sloughy mud."
Some words describe what is beneath your feet: sloughy ground grips your boots and turns every step into a muddy struggle.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sloughy come from?
The adjective was formed in English from slough, an older word for a muddy or marshy place, together with the suffix -y. Slough itself has roots in Old English and belongs to an English family of words associated with wet, muddy ground, including sludge and sludgy. The modern meaning remained centered on physical muddiness, though the adjective is also sometimes used figuratively for qualities associated with moral or intellectual sluggishness.
Related word forms
How sloughy is actually used
Sloughy is relatively uncommon in modern English. It is chiefly descriptive and often evokes wet, muddy ground that is unpleasant or difficult to cross.
Easily confused with sloughy
Sloughy is pronounced like “slau-ee” and describes muddy ground, whereas slowly is pronounced “slow-lee” and means at a slow pace.