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

On Bleecker Street, between Elizabeth and the Bowery, a shabby storefront, painted murky green, was once a destination for generations of photographers who had learned their trade by poring over the off-kilter images of Robert Frank. —Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 10 Mar. 2026

What can make things murky, Hathaway says, is that Congress declining to order a withdrawal is not the same as authorizing the use of force. —Sam Gringlas, NPR, 10 Mar. 2026

The mining area, partly filled with murky, yellowish water, covers at least 1,000 square meters (1,200 square yards) on his farm. —Edward Acquah, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026

The mining area, partly filled with murky, yellowish water, covers at least 1,000 square meters (1,200 square yards) on his farm. —ABC News, 8 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