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

• 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

The question of the role a chatbot might come to play in an episode of outward violence or destructive behavior is murkier still. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025

The announcement was greeted with jubilation and some caution, with many of the fine-print details still murky. —MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025

So coaching change talk is murky territory. —Jayson Stark, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025

Natural gas pipelines, power cables and internet cables have all been damaged, with ultimate responsibility still murky and subject to sprawling pan-national investigations. —David Brennan, ABC News, 10 Oct. 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