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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Murky: Definition, Usage & Common Examples (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：dark and cloudy (murky)

murky 🔊

/ˈmɜːrki/

adj.

Describes water or air that is dark, dirty, and not clear because of something mixed in it, like mud, fog, or smoke.

Murky meaning illustrated by dark, cloudy brown river water with zero visibility.

dark and cloudy 🔊

➕

/dɑːrk ənd ˈklaʊdi/

adj.

Describes liquids or air that are obscured by suspended particles, resulting in poor visibility and a dirty appearance.

📁 Category：Natural Geography 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Middle English 'murk', meaning dark or gloom, with the adjective suffix '-y'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'murk' for darkness, add 'y' to describe something dark and unclear.

📖 Example

After the heavy rain, the river became murky with washed-away soil. 🔊 Following heavy rainfall, the river turned dark and cloudy due to soil runoff.

🔗 Collocations

murky water – water that is dark and not clear

murky depths – the deep, unclear parts of a body of water

murky fog – thick, obscure fog that reduces visibility

🔄 Synonyms

cloudy (adj.) – having a lot of clouds or not clear; often used for liquids or air

turbid (adj.) – cloudy or opaque due to stirred-up sediment in a liquid

opaque (adj.) – not allowing light to pass through; not transparent

🚫 Antonyms

clear (adj.) – transparent and easy to see through

translucent (adj.) – allowing light to pass through but not fully transparent

🌱 Derivatives

murkiness (n.) – the quality of being murky or unclear

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Old English 'mirc', meaning dark, related to German 'murk'. Now commonly used in environmental contexts for water quality and metaphorically for unclear situations.

Meaning 2：unclear and confusing (murky)

murky 🔊

/ˈmɜːrki/

adj.

Used to describe a situation, information, or memory that is unclear, confusing, or not easy to understand.

Murky concept shown by a confused person looking at a blurred, unreadable document.

unclear and confusing 🔊

➕

/ʌnˈklɪər ənd kənˈfjuːzɪŋ/

adj.

Refers to situations, information, or memories that are ambiguous, obscure, or difficult to understand due to lack of clarity or detail.

📁 Category：Culture & History 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The company's history during that period is murky, with very few official records available. 🔊 The company's history from that time is unclear and confusing due to a scarcity of official records.

🔗 Collocations

murky details – details that are vague or not well-documented

murky past – a history that is obscure or questionable

murky circumstances – situations that are not clear or ambiguous

🔄 Synonyms

obscure (adj.) – not clearly expressed or easily understood; often vague or hidden

ambiguous (adj.) – open to more than one interpretation; not clear or definite

vague (adj.) – not clearly or definitely stated or expressed; lacking precision

🚫 Antonyms

clear (adj.) – easy to perceive, understand, or interpret; not ambiguous

transparent (adj.) – open and candid; not hidden or deceptive

🌱 Derivatives

murkiness (n.) – the quality of being murky or unclear