Word of the Day

: September 6, 2015

turbid

adjective TER-bid

What It Means

1 : cloudy or discolored by suspended particles

2 : confused, muddled

turbid in Context

The speed of the water flowing over the dam becomes obvious only when one observes the turbid water roiling below.

"Overall, once white bass have spawned, they move out into the main lake and can be found in areas with a turbid layer over ultra-clear water." -Mitch Eeagan, The Sioux City (Iowa) Journal, 1 Aug. 2015

Did You Know?

Turbid and turgid (which means "swollen or distended" or "overblown, pompous, or bombastic") are frequently mistaken for one another, and it's no wonder. Not only do the two words differ by only a letter, they are often used in contexts where either word could fit. For example, a flooded stream can be simultaneously cloudy and swollen, and badly written prose might be both unclear and grandiloquent. Nevertheless, the distinction between these two words, however fine, is an important one for conveying exact shades of meaning, so it's a good idea to keep them straight.