Meaning & use
stuck in the mud
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Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformaldisapproving
Unwilling to accept new ways or ideas; old-fashioned in attitude.
Grammar: Used after a linking verb like 'be' or 'seem': She is stuck in the mud.
Patterns
- be stuck in the mud
- seem stuck in the mud
My grandfather is stuck in the mud and refuses to use a smartphone.
The company's stuck-in-the-mud policies are driving away young employees.
Don't be so stuck in the mud; try the new restaurant with us.
phrasefixed phrase
Literally trapped in deep, wet earth and unable to move.
Grammar: Used after a verb like 'get' or 'be': The car got stuck in the mud.
Patterns
- get stuck in the mud
- be stuck in the mud
The truck got stuck in the mud after the heavy rain.
We were stuck in the mud for hours until a farmer helped us.
Common combinations
- stuck in the mud attitude
- His stuck in the mud attitude prevents him from learning new skills.
- stuck in the mud thinking
- The manager's stuck in the mud thinking cost the team a valuable opportunity.
- get stuck in the mud
- The jeep got stuck in the mud on the dirt road.
Synonyms and how they differ
- conservative
- Conservative means favoring tradition and caution; stuck in the mud is more informal and suggests stubborn resistance to any change.
- old-fashioned
- Old-fashioned describes things or people that are out of date; stuck in the mud emphasizes a person's unwillingness to adapt, often with a critical tone.
- resistant
- Resistant means opposed to something; stuck in the mud is a colorful idiom that implies a fixed, unchangeable mindset.
Opposites
Practice
Which sentence uses 'stuck in the mud' correctly to mean unwilling to change?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly uses the phrase to describe a person's unwillingness to try something new. The other options use 'stuck' in different, literal or incorrect ways.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “stuck in the mud”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.