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

Housing plans Prospects for Pritzker’s ambitious package of proposals to build more housing in Illinois seemed murky Friday, though several pieces of legislation have inched forward in recent days. —Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2026

Such scandals have put the spotlight on a murky (and growing) world of speculative, 24/7 transactions now filling the internet. —Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Fortune, 29 May 2026

Every couple of years, the water turns murky, regardless, and the whole tank has to be drained and refilled, explains Polojärvi. —Deena Theresa, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026

The perfect piece of avocado toast or bowl of guacamole is at the mercy of whichever day your avocados decide to ripen—and then, that window of time is short before the avocados turn on you, going from bright green to murky brown in a matter of hours. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 23 May 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