: gloom, darkness
also : fog
murk adjective archaic

Examples of murk in a Sentence

We could not see the bottom of the lake through the murk. a robber lying unseen in the murk
Recent Examples on the Web With an eye that’s sensitive enough to see a bumblebee in lunar orbit, the telescope will peer into the primordial murk from which stars, galaxies, and planets emerged, piercing the darkness that has occluded the gaze of other great observatories. Nadia Drake, National Geographic, 25 Dec. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'murk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mirke, probably from Old Norse myrkr darkness; akin to Old English mirce gloom

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of murk was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near murk

Cite this Entry

“Murk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/murk. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

murk

noun
: deep darkness or gloom

More from Merriam-Webster on murk

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