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
rain poured down from murky skies Newsweek
3
: darkly vague or obscure
murky official rhetoric
He offered a murky explanation.
murkily adverb
murkiness noun

Example Sentences

She peered into one of the church's murky chapels. a politician with a murky past
Recent Examples on the Web The impetus for neighborhood orders of protection is murky. Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 1 Dec. 2022 The focus is on Velonie, a beautiful debutante (portrayed by newcomer Sanjana) who is complex and mysterious and whose back story is murky. Patrick Frater, Variety, 24 Nov. 2022 That was the promise of Celsius Network, an experimental cryptocurrency bank with more than one million customers that emerged as a leader in the murky world of decentralized finance, or DeFi. New York Times, 13 June 2022 Celsius is one of a number of startups in the murky world of decentralized finance that are coming under intense scrutiny as crypto prices drop. David Yaffe-bellany, BostonGlobe.com, 13 June 2022 During the campaign, Mejia has explored the number of city workers who live out of state and explained the murky world of campaign slate mailers, which feature candidates — including Koretz — who have paid to appear on them. David Zahniserstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2022 In each of the cases, the circumstances around the women’s deaths were murky, and responses from police and law enforcement were criticized as muted and lackluster compared to the energy that constantly surrounds high-profile cases of white women. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 Nov. 2022 Almost three years later, the legacy of the bike boom, and the accompanying changes to urban infrastructure, is murky. WIRED, 14 Nov. 2022 From a campaign finance perspective, the federal laws surrounding podcasts are murky. The Indianapolis Star, 27 Oct. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'murky.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

Dictionary Entries Near murky

Cite this Entry

“Murky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/murky. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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