murky

1 of 2

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

murkiness

2 of 2

noun

murk·​i·​ness

variants or mirkiness

-kēnə̇s

plural -es

: the quality or state of being murky

her abiding sense of the murkiness of human life

—Thomas Hardy

Synonyms of murky

Adjective

• darkened
• dark

Examples of murky in a Sentence

Adjective

She peered into one of the church's murky chapels.

a politician with a murky past

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Now the entry pathways are much murkier. —Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 13 June 2026

Where the Cycle-Syncing Science Gets Complicated The picture gets murkier from there. —Allison Palmer updated June 13, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026

With the murky rights issues that have befallen many ’90s indies cleared up, the film is ready to be rediscovered by a new generation. —Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026

This is where the waters get a little murky. —Quanta Magazine, 12 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

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