murky
UK: ˈmɜːki | US: ˈmɜːrki
adj. dark and gloomy, especially due to thick mist or clouds
adj. (of liquid) cloudy or dirty
adj. (figuratively) unclear, obscure, or morally questionable
The word "murky" traces back to Old English myrce, meaning "dark," which itself likely stems from Proto-Germanic merkuz. Over time, the suffix -y was added to form the adjective, originally describing literal darkness (e.g., foggy or shadowy conditions). By the 16th century, it gained figurative uses, such as describing unclear situations or dubious morality—metaphorically extending the idea of "obscured vision" to abstract concepts.
The river water looked murky after the heavy rain.
The detective pieced together clues from the murky details of the case.
A murky fog rolled in, reducing visibility to almost zero.
His motives for the donation remained murky.
The documentary exposed the murky world of corporate espionage.