name is mud
2
9.9
- idiom
- Archaic
:
su nombre es sinónimo de deshonra
- After the scandal, his name is mud in the industry, and he struggles to find work.
Examples
-
Hey, your name is mud in this town, Lou.
-
"Or your name is mud."
Fiction book (1990) -
For what it's worth, alas my name is mud.
-
If you don't, your name is mud.
Blog text (25) -
Your name is mud to him, but if someone he likes asks whether you, the **26;11962;TOOLONG, are a complete jackwagon, he will very slightly smirk instead of raging, and it is really funny and awesome how quickly he can contain himself.
Blog text (10) -
Since the event, her name is mud among her peers due to the mistake she made.
-
Once the truth came out, politicians said that his name is mud in the community for his actions.
Synonyms
6
4.6
A person who has lost respect after doing something shameful
1
7.6
Likely to harm someone's reputation by showing shameful behaviour
Someone people blame or dislike after they do something others do not like
Antonyms
How Reputable
- Formal
54
4.6
8
2.3
176
3.9
- Archaic
2
9.9
6
4.6
168
5.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
A learner who knows 'name', 'be', and 'mud' can plausibly infer a metaphorical reading (mud = dirty → a 'dirty' name = damaged reputation), so there is a visible semantic link. However, the construction is idiomatic and non-literal (the mapping from 'mud' to reputation is culturally conventional and the exact nuance—disgrace or being widely blamed—is not fully predictable), so learners often need exposure to grasp the full meaning.
Etymology
Name is mud may come from the simple picture of a person's name being covered in mud, like dirt that hides and ruins it. If your name is covered in mud it looks dirty and people will avoid or blame you, so the phrase means 'to have a bad reputation' today.