murk

or mirk

[ murk ]

/ mɜrk /

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See synonyms for: murk / murked / murking on Thesaurus.com

noun

darkness; gloom: the murk of a foggy night.

adjective

Archaic. dark; murky.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of murk

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

Words nearby murk

Muriel, Murillo, murine, murine opossum, Murjite, murk, murky, Murman Coast, Murmansk, murmur, murmuration

Other definitions for murk (2 of 2)

murk²

[ murk ]

/ mɜrk /

verb (used with object)

Slang. a variant of merk¹.

Origin of murk

First recorded in 2005–10

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use murk in a sentence

A dark fantasy that gets lost in the murk, The Sandman introduces elements in such random fashion that it rarely feels like there’s something riding on Dream’s success or failure, regardless of the hero’s repeated talk about his mission’s importance.
Netflix’s ‘The Sandman’ Is One Terribly Boring Fantasy Series|Nick Schager|August 5, 2022|The Daily Beast
For hours, according to the Weather Service, visibility in the murk fell at Washington Dulles International Airport to a mere half-mile.
Washington was plunged into obscurity by Tuesday’s fog|Martin Weil|January 27, 2021|Washington Post
And then he hung up, left the station to vanish into the murk of the rain swept night.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
"I owe you no grudge, gentle Franks," quoth the dwarf, as they pushed back the door of a cell that was all dust and murk.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis

Through the haze and murk Peter Gross saw black eyes that flamed with hate, foaming lips, and passion-distorted faces.
The Argus Pheasant|John Charles Beecham
But the sight of a lion emerging from the murk, the wrong side of the crevice, roused him thoroughly.
The Adventures of Kathlyn|Harold MacGrath
They were close upon it before they saw it through the rain and murk.
The Fire People|Ray Cummings

British Dictionary definitions for murk (1 of 2)

murk¹

mirk

/ (mɜːk) /

noun

gloomy darkness

adjective

an archaic variant of murky

Word Origin for murk

C13: probably from Old Norse myrkr darkness; compare Old English mirce dark

British Dictionary definitions for murk (2 of 2)

murk²

/ (mɜːk) /

verb (tr) slang

to murder (a person)

to defeat (a team) convincingly

Word Origin for murk

C20: of unknown origin

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

or mirk

Origin of murk

Words nearby murk

Other definitions for murk (2 of 2)

Origin of murk

Words related to murk

How to use murk in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for murk (1 of 2)

mirk

Word Origin for murk

British Dictionary definitions for murk (2 of 2)

Word Origin for murk