crud: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, casual. Mildly vulgar in some contexts.
Quick answer
What does “crud” mean?
A sticky, unpleasant, or dirty substance.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A sticky, unpleasant, or dirty substance; something of very poor quality.
Used to express disgust or contempt for something worthless, messy, or ill-defined. Also used as a mild expletive.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Slightly more common and integrated in American English. In British English, can sound like an Americanism.
Connotations
Similar connotations of disgust and worthlessness in both varieties.
Frequency
Higher frequency in AmE, especially in expressions like 'What a bunch of crud!'
Grammar
How to Use “crud” in a Sentence
There is [crud] on X.X is full of [crud].He was talking [crud].Clean the [crud] off Y.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “crud” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- My old computer keeps crudding up and freezing.
- The pipe is crudded with years of limescale.
American English
- The engine is all crudded up from bad oil.
- Don't crud up the new whiteboard with that marker.
adverb
British English
- The machine is running cruddily after the spill.
American English
- The app performed cruddily and crashed.
adjective
British English
- It's just some cruddy old phone he found.
- I had a crud day at work.
American English
- This cruddy weather is ruining our plans.
- He sold me a crud used car.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare; would be highly informal, e.g., 'Ignore the marketing crud and look at the data.'
Academic
Not used.
Everyday
Common for describing mess, poor quality items, or nonsense talk among friends.
Technical
Informal tech slang for corrupt data, software bugs, or accumulated digital debris.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “crud”
- Using it in formal writing.
- Treating it as a countable noun (e.g., 'a crud').
- Overusing as a generic insult.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It's a mild vulgarity, often used as a euphemism for a stronger word (like 'crap'). It's informal and avoidable in polite/formal contexts.
'Dirt' is neutral. 'Crud' is more emotive, implying disgust, and often suggests a sticky, mixed, or unpleasant substance. 'Crud' can also mean 'nonsense'.
Yes, informally. It can refer to bad code, corrupt data, useless output, or outdated digital material cluttering a system.
It means to make dirty or gunk up. E.g., 'Leaves crudded up the drain.' It's highly informal and more common in AmE.
A sticky, unpleasant, or dirty substance.
Crud is usually informal, casual. mildly vulgar in some contexts. in register.
Crud: in British English it is pronounced /krʌd/, and in American English it is pronounced /krʌd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Cut the crud! (stop talking nonsense)”
- “Full of crud (untrue or worthless)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine CRUMBS and MUD mixed together into a sticky, unpleasant 'CRUD'.
Conceptual Metaphor
WORTHLESS IDEAS/THINGS ARE FILTH (e.g., 'Don't believe that crud.')
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'crud' be LEAST appropriate?