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

Handicapped by my seasickness and by the murky skies, I hardly ever could make my star sights work.

—Robert Shenk

3

: darkly vague or obscure

murky official rhetoric

He offered a murky explanation.

murkily

ˈmər-kə-lē 

adverb

murkiness

ˈmər-kē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of murky

• darkened
• dark

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

As this story went to press, the details of the interaction between Buckmaster, Alpöge, and OpenAI remain murky — different parties to the conversation are presenting different versions. — Konstantin Kakaes, Quanta Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026

Some of the states where Democrats were feeling most optimistic at the start of the election cycle, such as Michigan and Maine, have grown murkier. — Joey Cappelletti, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026

Once again, Ní Ghríofa blends the murky, semi-mythologized past with the present to create a story that is wholly singular and utterly transfixing. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026

Josh Jacobs’ future with the team is murky, and his ability to break tackles has been integral to the running game. — Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026

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