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

But since that July day in 1969, leadership in space has steadily passed from government to private hands, with the future of American space flight appearing murky. —Michael Carrafiello, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026

The consequences for demurral remained murky. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026

The entire plot remains murky and surreal as to exactly what's going on. —Jeff Spry, Space.com, 13 Mar. 2026

What that résumé doesn’t show, however, is Sinofsky’s entanglement in the murkier corners of the business world. —Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 12 Mar. 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