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

But as models from early cycles recount their experiences years later in Episode 2, the picture gets murkier. —Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026

Except there’s nothing boring about the pops and splashes of color, all blood-rich reds and luminous yellows that defy the murky greys that have come to define Hollywood in recent years. —David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2026

It’s created a murky picture around the front-runners going into the new season. —Luke Smith, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026

In her scenes with each of them, Hedda’s motivations feel murky as she ping-pongs between flirtation, disgust, fear and anger. —Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 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