STICK-IN-THE-MUD Synonyms: 25 Similar and Opposite Words

stick-in-the-mud

noun

ˈstik-ən-t͟hə-ˌməd

Definition of stick-in-the-mud

as in conservative

a person with old-fashioned ideas the committee is dominated by old stick-in-the-muds who have little interest in bringing new ideas to the table

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of stick-in-the-mud Bostwick starred as the naive stick-in-the-mud and fiancé of Janice, Brad. — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025 David Corenswet plays, quite literally, a stick-in-the-mud character. — Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 One only has to think about the British fight against Nazism to be reminded that it was made of imperialists, constitutionalists, stick-in-the-mud aristocrats, and the socialists who first helped put Winston Churchill into power and then five years later helped push him out again. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 But opposing him is Stagg, a Scottish, stick-in-the-mud academic (which is saying a lot by most weather men’s personality standards), who insists on making the team’s joint recommendation exclusively using the current observational data available to Allied forces. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stick-in-the-mud

Noun

Vermeule—a former clerk for Scalia—proposes that conservatives should read the Constitution’s ambiguous phrases and general structure in an openly moral way, drawing on principles grounded in the nature and purposes of government.

— Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
In her final opinion as a Supreme Court justice in 2005, Sandra Day O’Connor – a judicial conservative – reflected on the importance of church-state separation to guarantee full religious freedom.

— Steven K. Green, The Conversation, 2 July 2026

Definition of conservative

Noun

Last month, veteran Hollywood producer Roy Lee got three calls in a single day from executives at three different studios.

— Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
In addition, veteran forward Andrew Wiggins’ two-year extension worth $34 million with the Heat also became official on Monday.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026

Definition of veteran

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“Stick-in-the-mud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stick-in-the-mud. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of stick-in-the-mud

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