cloudy
Americanadjective
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cloudier,
comparative
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cloudiest
superlative
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full of or overcast by clouds.
a cloudy sky.
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having little or no sunshine.
a cloudy but rainless day.
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having cloudlike markings.
cloudy marble.
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not clear or transparent; murky.
He could not see through the cloudy liquid.
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darkened by gloom, trouble, etc.
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under suspicion, disgrace, etc..
a gambler with a cloudy reputation.
adjective
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covered with cloud or clouds
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of or like a cloud or clouds
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streaked or mottled like a cloud
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opaque or muddy
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obscure or unclear
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troubled by gloom or depression
his face had a cloudy expression
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of cloudy
First recorded before 900; Middle English cloudi, Old English clūdig “rocky, hilly”; see cloud, -y 1
Explanation
When the sky is cloudy, it's so full of clouds that you can't see the sun. A cloudy day isn't ideal for a trip to the beach, and a cloudy night isn't great for star gazing. A cloudy sky tells you that rain's on the way, while a cloudy pond or a cloudy glass of water isn't translucent — you can't see through it. You can also describe an issue, thought, or memory as cloudy when it's vague or half-remembered or unclear. Cloudy comes from the Old English word clud, "mass of rock," and later "cloud," based on the way a cloud can resemble a rock or hill.
Vocabulary lists containing cloudy
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.
See Examples For:
From a location with especially dark skies, you might also notice a faint, cloudy band that appears to rise like steam from the Teapot's spout.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026
Plus, Microsoft’s cloudy numbers and the impact of Canadian tariffs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
The app may display that forecast with a partly cloudy icon for the region, which will be correct for 70 percent of the area, but not for the 30 percent that actually gets pouring rain.”
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
Sunday will be a cooler day for all of the UK as it begins cloudy with a little bit of rain for southern and eastern areas.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Except now it was mixed with wood and metal and a sort of cloudy scent, like spring had caught a cold.
From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake
The first signs that a dog is crossing over into his senior years are often a graying muzzle, cloudier eyes or a slower gait.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
It will also be cloudier across more northern areas of the UK over the weekend.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
It will turn cloudier on Sunday with the best of any sunshine in northern areas.
From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026
The picture is a little cloudier for actors in a supporting role, said Feinberg, with both male and female categories up for grabs.
From Barron's ● Mar. 1, 2026
Drizzle floats over the hilltop and the sky gets cloudier.
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
"A few clear spells are possible elsewhere across the UK too, but parts of west Britain, particularly the coasts and hills, will see the cloudiest conditions due to the south-westerly breeze."
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2023
May and June are usually Southern California’s cloudiest months, Sirard said, but the persistence of the trough made it even more so this year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2023
She had to stop driving; the sunlight on even the cloudiest day forced her to close her eyes.
From New York Times ● Aug. 11, 2021
He forgot how McEnroe’s eyes used to narrow as if against the noonday glare, even on the cloudiest of days.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 24, 2018
But never yet rang laughter So sweet in gladdened ears Through wall and floor and rafter As all this household hears And rings response thereafter Till cloudiest weather clears.
From Studies in Song, A Century of Roundels, Sonnets on English Dramatic Poets, The Heptalogia, Etc From Swinburne's Poems Volume V. by Algernon Charles Swinburne
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.
