German word

Schlamm

Pronunciation

IPA/ʃlam/

Meaning

  • masculine nounmud

Example

Der Schlamm klebt an meinen Schuhen.

The mud is sticking to my shoes.

Illustration for Schlamm (mud)

More examples

Die Kinder veranstalten eine Schlammschlacht im Garten.

The children are having a mud fight in the garden.

Core concept

Muddy ground that clings to shoes and leaves footprints.

Common phrases

  • Schuhe voller Schlamm

    shoes full of mud

  • im Schlamm stecken

    be stuck in the mud

  • Schlammschlacht

    mud fight

Similar words

Matsch: A muddy quagmire created when rain quickly softens the ground.
Dreck: A general kind of dirt or grime, such as mud and dust.
Schlick: Fine-grained mud deposited along shores or on the beds of rivers.

Definition in German

Feuchte, oft klebrige Masse aus Erde und Wasser, die beim Betreten matschig wird und Spuren hinterlässt.

Word origin

Schlamm is an inherited Germanic word related to English slime, with older German forms such as Middle High German slam.

Usage tips

  • Schlamm is masculine: der Schlamm; the plural Schlämme refers to distinct deposits or types, while ordinary mud is usually singular.

Other meanings

  • mirenoun
  • sludgenoun

Opposites

  • Sauberkeitcleanlinessnoun

Related words

  • Schlammpfützemud puddlenoun
  • schlammigmuddyadjective

Word lists with this word