murky

English

Alternative forms

• mirky

Etymology

From Middle English mirky; equivalent to murk +‎ -y. Related to Old Norse myrkr, Russian мрак (mrak), Serbo-Croatian мра̑к.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɜː(ɹ)ki/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)ki

Adjective

murky (comparative murkier, superlative murkiest)

1. Hard to see through, as a fog or mist.
   • 1837, “Boz” [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], “The Streets by Night”, in Sketches by Boz: Illustrative of Every-day Life, and Every-day People. The Second Series, London: John Macrone, , →OCLC, page 19:

     The Streets of London, to be beheld in the very height of their glory, should be seen on a dark, dull, murky, winter's night, when there is just enough damp gently stealing down to make the pavement greasy without cleansing it of any of its impurities, […]

2. Dark, dim, gloomy.
   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 14:

     Ferdinand: As I hope / For quite dayes, faire Iſſue, and long life, / With ſuch loue, as 'tis now the murkieſt den, / The moſt opportune place, the ſtrongſt ſuggeſtion, / Our worſer Genius can, shall neuer melt / Mine honor into luſt, […]

3. Cloudy, indistinct, obscure.

   murky waters

   murky territory

   • 2021 April 21, Anatoly Liberman, “Going out on a Limb”, in Oxford Etymologist‎:

     They may face an impenetrable word, approach its murky history from every direction, and fail to find a convincing solution (or even any solution: “origin unknow,” “the rest is unclear,” and the like).

   • 2022 October 28, Maria Cramer, “Beaches? Cruises? ‘Dark’ Tourists Prefer the Gloomy and Macabre”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:

     Mr. Farrier, 39, said he often questioned the moral implications of his trips. “It’s very ethically murky territory,” Mr. Farrier said.

   • 2022 December 23, Keith Bradsher, Amy Chang Chien, Joy Dong, “As Cases Explode, China’s Low Covid Death Toll Convinces No One”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:

     China’s murky statistics are fueling widespread public distrust. Its narrow definition of Covid deaths “will very much underestimate the true death toll,” the W.H.O. says.

4. (by extension) Dishonest, shady.

Synonyms

• dark

Derived terms

Related terms

• murk

Translations

Further reading

• “murky”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “murky”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.