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

Senate rules on campaigning Whether Marshall can use his Senate staff for campaigning is murky. — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026

Researchers theorize the pigment allows the fish to spot bioluminescence, giving it an additional tool to maneuver through the murky depths. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026

Among the murkier aspects of this setup is what will happen if the trustees come to feel that the co-founders have lost their devotion to safety and their board majority tries to right the ship. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Ownership of the land is murky, especially given that the encampment has no specific boundaries. — CBS News, 28 Oct. 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