murky

adjective

ˈmər-kē 

murkier; murkiest

1

: characterized by a heavy dimness or obscurity caused by or like that caused by overhanging fog or smoke

the murky bottom of the lake

2

: characterized by thickness and heaviness of air : foggy, misty

rain poured down from murky skies

—Newsweek

3

: darkly vague or obscure

murky official rhetoric

He offered a murky explanation.

murkily

ˈmər-kə-lē 

adverb

murkiness

ˈmər-kē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• black
• caliginous
• dark
• darkened
• darkish
• darkling
• darksome
• dim
• dimmed
• dusk
• dusky
• gloomy
• lightless
• obscure
• obscured
• pitch-black
• pitch-dark
• pitchy
• rayless
• somber
• sombre
• stygian
• tenebrific
• tenebrous
• unlit

Examples of murky in a Sentence

She peered into one of the church's murky chapels.

a politician with a murky past

Recent Examples on the Web

The Depths are a murky environment with unique gameplay mechanics tied to darkness and light, so players better not skimp on lanterns and torches. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025

Speaking Wednesday at the HPA Tech Retreat, an annual engineering conference taking place this week in Palm Springs, Welsh reviewed some of the recent steps and decisions toward AI legislation, a subject that remains murky. —Carolyn Giardina, Variety, 19 Feb. 2025

Culture Ministry officials are also debating whether some statues with murky provenance could be fakes. —Mike Ives, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025

Yet as the discoveries inside the game become clearer, the past becomes much more murky. —David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing murky

• murky waters

Rhymes for murky

• jerky
• perky
• quirky
• turki

Kids Definition

murky

adjective

ˈmər-kē 

murkier; murkiest

1

: very dark or gloomy

2

: foggy sense 1, misty

3

: difficult to understand

a murky reply designed to confuse

murkiness noun