murky

/ˈmʌrki/

/ˈmʌki/

Other forms: murkier; murkiest

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.

Definitions of murky

1. adjective

   (of liquids) clouded as with sediment
   “murky waters”

   synonyms: cloudy, mirky, muddy, turbid

   opaque

   not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy; impenetrable to sight
2. adjective

   dark or gloomy
   “a murky dungeon”

   “murky rooms lit by smoke-blackened lamps”

   synonyms: mirky

   shaded

   protected from heat and light with shade or shadow
3. adjective

   not clearly understood or expressed
   synonyms: obscure, vague

   unclear

   not clear to the mind