murky

adjective

ˈmər-kē

murkier; murkiest

Synonyms of murky

: characterized by a heavy dimness or obscurity caused by or like that caused by overhanging fog or smoke

the murky bottom of the lake

: 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

: darkly vague or obscure

murky official rhetoric

He offered a murky explanation.

murkily

ˈmər-kə-lē

adverb

murkiness

ˈmər-kē-nəs

noun

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The area sits within the Lake Superior clay plain, where the surrounding soil is largely composed of clay, which can make the water murky and obscure objects beneath the surface. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Advertisement Prigozhin’s fate is only the most spectacular entry on a longer, murkier list. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 22 Oct. 2026 The legal position of the Hope Florida grand jury report, already widely reported but also expunged by an appellate court, grew murkier Tuesday amid a multi-pronged effort to prohibit any publication of the document. — Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 This is a volatile figure quarter to quarter, and Capital One can always pull back marketing in times when the economic picture looks murky. — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for murky

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

See more words from the same century

Browse Nearby Words

murksome

murky

murky bass

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Murky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/murky. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

murky

adjective

ˈmər-kē

murkier; murkiest

: very dark or gloomy

: foggy sense 1, misty

: difficult to understand

a murky reply designed to confuse

murkiness noun

murky

adjective

Synonyms of murky

Examples of murky in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes

murky

adjective

Synonyms of murky

Examples of murky in a Sentence

Word History

Phrases Containing murky

Rhymes for murky

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes