Phrase guide

drag through the mud

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To tarnish or spoil enough so that something or someone is no longer respectable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: befoul, muddy, sully, assassinate, asperse, backbite, badmouth, belibel, besmirch, besmear, bewray, blacken, blame, blaze, blemish, blot, blur, calumniate, calumny, chat shit, chat shite, cloud, defame, demonize, denigrate, deprave, depreciate, detract, dirty, discredit, disgrace, disparage, disrepute, diss, drag through the mud, forgab, forspeak, foul, infamize, lampoon, libel, malign, monsterize, reproach, revile, scandal, shit-talk, slag, slander, smear, smirch, spatter, spot, speak ill of, stab, stain, talk shit, talk shite, talk trash, tarnish, torch, traduce, trash-talk, unflatter, vilify, vilipend, villainize, wrong

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

speak unfavorably about

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She badmouths her husband everywhere

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: badmouth, malign, traduce

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: defame, slander, smirch, asperse, denigrate, calumniate, smear, sully, besmirch

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: arrossegar pel fang — Translations
  • Dutch: door het slijk halen — Translations
  • Finnish: vetää lokaan — Translations
  • Finnish: loata — Translations
  • French: traîner dans la boue — Translations
  • German: in den Dreck ziehen — Translations
  • Italian: trascinare nel fango — Translations
  • Polish: hańbić — Translations
  • Polish: zhańbić — Translations
  • Portuguese: arrastar pela lama — Translations
  • Russian: смеша́ть с гря́зью (smešátʹ s grjázʹju) — Translations
  • Spanish: dejar a la altura del betún — Translations
  • Swedish: dra i smutsen — Translations