Murk Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms murk 1 American [murk] / mɜrk / Or mirk

noun

1. darkness; gloom.

   the murk of a foggy night.

adjective

1. Archaic. dark; murky.

murk 2 American [murk] / mɜrk /

verb (used with object)

1. Slang. a variant of merk.

murk 1 British / mɜːk /

noun

1. gloomy darkness

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

1. an archaic variant of murky

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 murk 2 British / mɜːk /

verb

1. to murder (a person)

2. to defeat (a team) convincingly

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of murk1

First recorded before 900; Middle English mirke, myrke, from Old Norse myrkr “dark, darkness,” replacing Old English myrce “dark”

Origin of murk2

First recorded in 2005–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Through the murk, China’s interest in the war is important and complicated.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the dark waters off the west coast of Scotland, a slender submarine glider, like a torpedo with wings, slips under the surface and quickly disappears off into the murk.

From BBC

Nine Inch Nails thrive in the murk of base instinct and dread.

From Los Angeles Times

Nine Inch Nails thrive in the murk of base human instinct and tech-driven dread.

From Los Angeles Times

It lies waiting to slide into the murk of Echo Park lake, waiting for the cameras to roll.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.