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

Geese, Getting Killed If the 2010s were a decade in which the internet made American culture feel overlit and surveilled, the 2020s are more like an overgrown swamp, governed by murky forces and entanglements. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025

After all, the outlook for the technology is murky at best, and investors are increasingly questioning the wisdom of the industry’s – and particularly OpenAI’s – massive spending commitments. —Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025

The outlook for further rate cuts is a bit murky following the Fed's December meeting. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2025

Minnesota's future at quarterback remains a bit murky. —Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 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