murky

Etymology

From Middle English mirky; equivalent to murk + -y. Related to Old Norse myrkr, Russian мрак (mrak), Serbo-Croatian мра̑к.

adj

1. Hard to see through, as a fog or mist.
2. Dark, dim, gloomy.
3. Cloudy, indistinct, obscure.
   murky waters
   murky territory
   They may face an impenetrable word, approach its murky history from every direction, and fail to find a convincing solution (or even any solution: “origin unknow,” “the rest is unclear,” and the like). April 21 2021, Anatoly Liberman, “Going out on a Limb”, in Oxford Etymologist
   Mr. Farrier, 39, said he often questioned the moral implications of his trips. “It’s very ethically murky territory,” Mr. Farrier said. 2022-10-28, Maria Cramer, “Beaches? Cruises? ‘Dark’ Tourists Prefer the Gloomy and Macabre”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
   China’s murky statistics are fueling widespread public distrust. Its narrow definition of Covid deaths “will very much underestimate the true death toll,” the W.H.O. says. 2022-12-23, Keith Bradsher, Amy Chang Chien, Joy Dong, “As Cases Explode, China’s Low Covid Death Toll Convinces No One”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
4. (by extension) Dishonest, shady.