rhizoverbBeta
DictionarymurkObscuring darkness
noun

murk

MURK/mɜːrk/

Darkness or thick haze that makes things hard to see.

The woodland path disappears into murk beyond the nearest trees.

A narrow woodland path disappears into thick, dark gloom: nearby roots and trunks are readable, but trees only a short distance away dissolve into indistinct silhouettes.
Etymology
murkOld Norsedarkness

Old Norse myrkr named darkness itself. English murk preserves that concrete meaning, describing gloom that obscures what can be seen.

In context

Storytime Haven540:11
She felt as though centuries of time had rolled over her head when the murk of the lowering sky lightened, and the London dawn was born, naked and grey.
🌑 The Moon Rock 🌒 | A Haunting Tale of Mystery and Ambition by Arthur J. Rees

More examples

  • The diver disappears into the murk below the dock.
  • We can just make out a doorway in the murk.
  • Smoke fills the alley, and shapes vanish in the murk.

Forms

murky adjective — Dark or cloudy enough to obscure visibility.

Similar words

gloom
Gloom emphasizes dim light, often with a depressing atmosphere.
haze
Haze is airborne moisture or particles that reduce visibility.
darkness
Darkness means little or no light, without requiring haze.