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Glite Dictionary
🌧️ Thick and muddy 🎸 Heavy and slow
sludgy

sludgy

1 6.6
Slow, heavy music with a thick, distorted sound
  • adjective
  • /ˈslədʒi/
translation icon : pesado
  • The band's new track has a sludgy sound that makes it feel heavy and intense.

Examples

  • He takes all that that sludgy, weird, insane kind of low thing and sings this beautiful melody and ties it all together.

  • 'The Time of Great Purification' is jam-packed with sludgy riffs combined with a splash of sheer technicality that is achieved with visceral poise.

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  • Many listeners found the album's sludgy melodies captivating despite their distorted quality.

  • The sludgy guitar riffs create a dense atmosphere that draws you into the music.

Synonyms

clunky
vssludgy
1 6.1

A heavy, dull sound that old machines or boots make

is slower and denser in quality rather than abrupt noisy strikes
squelchy
vssludgy
1 6.1

Soft, wet ground that makes a sucking sound when you step on it

is thicker and heavier in feel, not only wet or noisy
sluggy
vssludgy
7.9

Thick, sticky, and slow to move like wet mud

is denser and slower, often used for heavy distorted sound

Antonyms

light
79 1.0

Not strong and small in amount

clear
40 1.0

Pure and distinct in sound or colour

How Heavy

oppressive
19 6.3
dense
9 3.2
sludgy
1 6.6
mellow
46 3.9
light
90 1.0

Surface Forms

sludgy positive

Morphology

sludgy = sludge (semi-transparent) = sludge + y

Formally 'sludge' + '-y' is clear, but the application to describe sound is a metaphorical extension that may not be fully predictable to learners.

Etymology

Sludgy in music uses the same idea: it describes a slow, heavy, and thick sound that feels like moving through sludge. So a sludgy guitar or song feels dense and hard to move through.