adj
murky
MUR-kee
adj
1
Dark and hard to see through, especially describing water, fog, or light.
"The pond water was too murky to see the bottom."
"They drove through murky fog on the mountain road."
2
Vague, unclear, or suspicious, especially about someone's motives or past.
"Details of the deal remain murky."
"He has a murky history with the company's finances."
How to Use Murky
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDark and cloudy, or — figuratively — confusing and possibly dishonest.
Common pairings
murky water
murky past
murky details
Word Forms
murkier comparative, murkiest superlative
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Etymology
From Middle English mirky, related to Old Norse myrkr ("dark") and the Slavic word family behind Russian mrak ("darkness").