Refers to thick, dirty mud or sediment, often in industrial, environmental, or literal muddy contexts.
hopeless situation; hell; despair
Figurative use for a deeply corrupt, stagnant, or inescapable bad situation, often in social or moral contexts.
政治の汚泥を一掃しなければならない。
We must clean up the political mire.
The disposal of sludge from factories has become a problem.
川底に汚泥がたまっている。
Sludge has accumulated on the riverbed.
彼は人生の汚泥から抜け出せずにいる。
He remains stuck in the hopeless mire of his life.
activated sludge
Standard kanji spelling; used in news and technical contexts.
Rarely used kanji form.
Sino-Japanese compound of 汚 (dirty, pollute) and 泥 (mud). The figurative sense extends the idea of being stuck in filthy, inescapable conditions.