adj · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈmɜː(ɹ)ki/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)ki
CMU ARPABET:M ER1 K IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Hard to see through, as a fog or mist.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Dark, dim, gloomy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Cloudy, indistinct, obscure.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
murky waters
murky territory
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Dishonest, shady.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
dark or gloomy
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a murky dungeon
murky rooms lit by smoke-blackened lamps
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: mirky
Antonyms: none provided
6
adjective satellite
Meaning 6
(of liquids) clouded as with sediment
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a cloudy liquid
muddy coffee
murky waters
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cloudy, muddy, mirky, turbid
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English mirky. Related to Old Norse myrkr, Russian мрак (mrak) and its Slavic cognates. By surface analysis, murk + -y.
Across languages
Translations
46 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Belarusian:
каламутны
(kalamutny)
— hard to see through
Bulgarian:
мътен
(mǎten)
— hard to see through
Chinese Mandarin:
混濁 /混浊
(hùnzhuó)
— hard to see through
Czech:
kalný
— hard to see through
Czech:
neprůhledný
— hard to see through
Czech:
šerý
— hard to see through
Czech:
temný
— hard to see through
Czech:
zakalený
— hard to see through
Danish:
uigennemsigtig
— hard to see through
Dutch:
troebel
— hard to see through
Dutch:
troebele
— hard to see through
Emilian:
scûr
— hard to see through
Finnish:
samea
— hard to see through
Finnish:
sakea
— hard to see through
French:
sombre
— hard to see through
French:
trouble
— hard to see through
Georgian:
ბნელი
(bneli)
— hard to see through
Georgian:
შავბნელი
(šavbneli)
— hard to see through
Georgian:
უკუნი
(uḳuni)
— hard to see through
Georgian:
დაბინდული
(dabinduli)
— hard to see through
German:
düster
— hard to see through
German:
trüb
— hard to see through
Hebrew:
עכור
(akhúr)
— hard to see through
Hebrew:
מטושטוש
(metushtásh)
— hard to see through
Hebrew:
מעומעם
(meum'ám)
— hard to see through
Irish:
modartha
— hard to see through
Khmer:
ល្អក់
(lʼɑk)
— hard to see through
Latin:
turbidus
— hard to see through
Norwegian Nynorsk:
grumsete
— hard to see through
Polish:
mętny
— hard to see through
Polish:
nieprzenikniony
— hard to see through
Romanian:
tulbure
— hard to see through
Russian:
му́тный
(mútnyj)
— hard to see through
Scots:
mirk
— hard to see through
Spanish:
turbio
— hard to see through
Turkish:
bulanık
— hard to see through
Ukrainian:
каламутний
(kalamutnyj)
— hard to see through