murky
Americanadjective
-
gloomy or dark
-
cloudy or impenetrable as with smoke or fog
Related Words
See dark.
Other Word Forms
- murkily adverb
- murkiness noun
Etymology
Origin of murky
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English mirky; see origin at murk, -y 1
Explanation
Something that's murky is dim, gloomy or hard to see through clearly. Think of the dark fog around a haunted house or the cloudy, muddy water in a swamp. Rarely used before the 17th century, this adjective came about by adding a "y" to the word murk. Murk itself evolved from myrkr, a Norse word for "darkness.” Things that are murky are unclear; that goes for murky, sediment-filled lakes, shady business deals, and arguments that don't seem to make any sense.
Vocabulary lists containing murky
The Diary of Anne Frank
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"The Ravine," Vocabulary from the short story
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List 10
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Arriving at their plane home, Cora and his gang—no longer moored to an underperforming roster and a murky front office—posed for a merry group photo.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
Sarah Corden, the research and policy director for the farmer-led watchdog organization Farm Action, said that the disproportionate aid payments and murky framework are “fairly typical,” but called the rollout “problematic.”
From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026
Even as cease-fire details remain murky, noted strategist Tom Lee says the bottom has now been set for the U.S. stock market.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
The price of oil remains elevated, despite peace talk reports, which suggests that issues around the control of the Strait of Hormuz remain murky at best.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
The murky visibility was making it nearly impossible for rookie coast guardsman John Cullen to do his job.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
