murky

play

adjective \ ˈmər-kē \

Definition of murky

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

play \-kə-lē\ adverb

—

murkiness

play \-kē-nəs\ noun

See murky defined for English-language learners

See murky defined for kids

Examples of murky in a Sentence

She peered into one of the church's murky chapels.
a politician with a murky past

Recent Examples of murky from the Web

HOUSTON (AP) — Now that the sun is finally shining and the murky, brown floodwaters are slowly receding in much of the Houston area, grim reality is setting in.

— juan lozano, The Seattle Times, "Grim reality in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey: More dead," 30 Aug. 2017
Swimming the cold, murky waters was a regular lesson in leaving my comfort zone and moving through the unknown.

— maria finn, Longreads, "Can Love Sparked at Burning Man Last in Everyday Life?," 28 Aug. 2017
Ramen houses are the perfect places for a mini-tutorial on the difference between French stock, which is clear, and tonkotsu broth, which is deliciously murky.

— esquire editors, Esquire, "How to B.S. Your Way to a Seven-Figure Book Deal," 23 Aug. 2017
One thing that does seem clear is that the band is interested in the murky and instinctual way humans negotiate with one another.

— spencer kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Grizzly Bear Capture the Beauty of Connection," 20 Aug. 2017
Many different versions exist under the nahm prik label; this one is murky and smoky, with a judicious level of heat.

— phil vettel, chicagotribune.com, "Review: Proxi is a small-plates bazaar of international street food," 14 Aug. 2017
As in 50 degrees or less, with anything from crystalline blue to murky brown in the mix.

— peter reese, Popular Mechanics, "Five Things to Know Before Running a Wild River," 11 Aug. 2017
The water, while not particularly deep there, was murky and moving faster than usual following a storm.

— bill bird, Naperville Sun, "Naperville Park District officials salute 2 employees, city police sergeant," 11 Aug. 2017
This isn't pegging the players' best-case or worst-case scenario, but rather somewhere in the murky middle.

— marlowe alter, Detroit Free Press, "#BestInTheD: Detroit's Top 20 pro athletes right now, Nos. 10-1," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'murky.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of murky

14th century

murky Synonyms

MURKY Defined for English Language Learners

murky

play

adjective

Definition of murky for English Language Learners

: very dark or foggy
of a liquid : not clear
: not clearly expressed or understood

MURKY Defined for Kids

murky

play

adjective \ ˈmər-kē \

Definition of murky for Students

murkier; murkiest

1 :very dark or foggy

murky skies

2 :cloudy 2

murky water

3 :not clearly expressed or understood

The details were murky and vague.
—Lois Lowry, The Giver

Learn More about murky

See words that rhyme with murky Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for murky Spanish Central: Translation of murky Nglish: Translation of murky for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of murky for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up murky? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

murky

Definition of murky

murkily

murkiness

Explore M-W

Examples of murky in a Sentence

Recent Examples of murky from the Web

First Known Use of murky

murky Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Phrases Related to MURKY

Related Phrases

MURKY Defined for English Language Learners

murky

Definition of murky for English Language Learners

MURKY Defined for Kids

murky

Definition of murky for Students

Learn More about murky

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Trending: Graham: Health Care Bill Is 'Federalism'

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes

'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

Words of the Year: 1066