murky
See also: Murky
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle English mirky; equivalent to murk + -y. Related to Old Norse myrkr, Russian мрак (mrak), Serbo-Croatian мра̑к.
Pronunciation
Audio (US): (file)
- Rhymes: -ɜː(r)ki
Adjective
murky (comparative murkier, superlative murkiest)
- 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, […]
- 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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], 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, […]
- Cloudy, indistinct, obscure.
- Dishonest, shady.
Synonyms
Related terms
Translations
hard to see through
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dark, dim, gloomy — see gloomy
cloudy, indistinct, obscure — see obscure
dishonest, shady
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Translations to be checked
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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.