Synonyms soil
soil
mud ▪ dust ▪ clay ▪ land ▪ earth ▪ dirt ▪ ground
These are all words for the top layer of the earth in which plants grow.
soil the top layer of the earth in which plants grow:
Plant the seedlings in damp soil.
mud wet soil that is soft and sticky:
The car wheels got stuck in the mud.
dust a fine powder that consists of very small pieces of rock, earth, etc:
A cloud of dust rose as the truck set off.
clay a type of heavy sticky soil that becomes hard when it is baked and is used to make things such as pots and bricks:
The tiles are made of clay.
land an area of ground, especially of a particular type:
an area of rich, fertile land
earth the substance that plants grow in
Earth is often used about the soil found in gardens or used for gardening: She put some earth into the pot.
dirt (especially North American English) soil, especially loose soil:
Pack the dirt firmly around the plants.
ground an area of soil:
The car got stuck in the muddy ground.
They drove across miles of rough, stony ground.
Ground is not used for loose soil: a handful of dry ground
Patterns
good/rich soil/land/earth
fertile/infertile soil/land/ground
to dig the soil/mud/clay/land/earth/ground
to cultivate the soil/land/ground