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 Philadelphia 76ers' immediate and medium-term future looked murky coming into this season. —Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

Still, Kenya’s longer-term political outlook just got a lot murkier, as the scramble to win over Odinga’s supporters will intensify in the months ahead. —Ian Bremmer, Time, 22 Oct. 2025

Automobile traffic crawled as drivers struggled to peer through murky air. —Robert Wyss, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2025

But such words often have ancient roots, and the longer the history, the murkier the evidence gets. —Literary Hub, 20 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