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
3
: darkly vague or obscure
murky official rhetoric
He offered a murky explanation.
Synonyms
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
Although the connection between eczema and food allergies is still murky, several foods people have eczema and food allergies should try to avoid, which are:
Peanuts.
Dairy.
Eggs.
—
Dominique Fluker, Essence, 15 Apr. 2024
The murky line started at the base of the woman’s neck and extended over her shoulder and down her arm halfway to the elbow.
—Lisa Sanders, M.d., New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
But the water is so murky that salvage divers can’t see more than one to two feet in front of them, Gov. Wes Moore said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
—Lea Skene, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
Many see technology as the way out of the world’s lagging productivity crisis — but its results so far have been murky at best.
—Joe McKendrick, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The Hunter, by Tana French Tana French stretches the tension – and the mystery genre – like taffy in her return to the ethically murky Irish village of Ardnakelty.
—Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Mar. 2024
Through archival footage and expert analysis, the documentary sheds light on the murky deals behind the Olympic facade.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
The new policy, approved by Miami-Dade’s commission on Tuesday, is a first regulatory attempt to address the murky rules around what counts as flooding your neighbors.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
To his left, dive teams worked to free the remains of two construction workers from a red pickup truck submerged in the murky deep.
—Erin Cox, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
Dominique Fluker, Essence, 15 Apr. 2024
The murky line started at the base of the woman’s neck and extended over her shoulder and down her arm halfway to the elbow.
—Lisa Sanders, M.d., New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
But the water is so murky that salvage divers can’t see more than one to two feet in front of them, Gov. Wes Moore said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
—Lea Skene, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
Many see technology as the way out of the world’s lagging productivity crisis — but its results so far have been murky at best.
—Joe McKendrick, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The Hunter, by Tana French Tana French stretches the tension – and the mystery genre – like taffy in her return to the ethically murky Irish village of Ardnakelty.
—Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Mar. 2024
Through archival footage and expert analysis, the documentary sheds light on the murky deals behind the Olympic facade.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
The new policy, approved by Miami-Dade’s commission on Tuesday, is a first regulatory attempt to address the murky rules around what counts as flooding your neighbors.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
To his left, dive teams worked to free the remains of two construction workers from a red pickup truck submerged in the murky deep.
—Erin Cox, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'murky.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of murky was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing murky
Dictionary Entries Near murky
Cite this Entry
“Murky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/murky. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
murky
adjective
murkier; murkiest
1
: very dark or gloomy
2
3
: difficult to understand
a murky reply designed to confuse
murkiness
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on murky
Nglish: Translation of murky for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of murky for Arabic Speakers
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