a cloudlike aggregation of minute globules of water suspended in the atmosphere at or near the earth's surface, reducing visibility to a lesser degree than fog.
a cloud of particles resembling this.
She sprayed a mist of perfume onto her handkerchief.
something that dims, obscures, or blurs.
the mist of ignorance.
a haze before the eyes that dims the vision.
a mist of tears.
a suspension of a liquid in a gas.
a drink of liquor served over cracked ice.
a fine spray produced by a vaporizer to add moisture to the air for breathing.
to become misty.
to rain in very fine drops; drizzle (usually used impersonally with it as subject).
It was misting when they went out for lunch.
to make misty.
to spray (plants) with a finely diffused jet of water, as a means of replacing lost moisture.
a thin fog resulting from condensation in the air near the earth's surface
meteorol such an atmospheric condition with a horizontal visibility of 1–2 kilometres
a fine spray of any liquid, such as that produced by an aerosol container
chem a colloidal suspension of a liquid in a gas
condensed water vapour on a surface that blurs the surface
something that causes haziness or lack of clarity, such as a film of tears
A mass of fine droplets of water in the atmosphere near or in contact with the Earth. Mist reduces visibility to not less than 1 km (0.62 mi).
Compare fog
What else does mist mean? Content warning: this article references illicit drugs. A mist is, literally speaking, a cloud of fine liquid droplets, but in slang it can variously refer to drugs and the experience of being on them. Mist can also be an alternative spelling or misspelling of missed.
See cloud.
First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch, Low German, Swedish mist; akin to Greek omíchlē “fog,” Russian mgla “mist,” Sanskrit megha “cloud”; (verb) Middle English misten, Old English mistian, derivative of the noun
From the Latin word mistūra
Mist is a very dense water vapor, almost as thick as fog. Light rain can sometimes form a mist that makes it hard to see the road when you're driving. The mist you see in the air on a damp spring morning is similar to the mist you spray when you water your plants — it's made up of tiny water droplets. As a verb, mist means "to cover with mist," so you might mist your dry plants or watch your windows mist up in the rain. Mist can also refer to a general dimness or cloudiness: "She watched through the mist of her tears."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The new solutions help supplement more traditional methods to manage the heat, which include giant fans, trucks distributing free water and mist systems that help cool crowds.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
With mist and low cloud still hanging around in the far west of south-west England, west Wales and northern Scotland, temperatures will be lower.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
Sentinel in March agreed to sell Spectrum’s Marioff division, which provides high-pressure water mist fire suppression solutions, to fellow private-equity firm Inflexion for an undisclosed amount.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
New Vogue Spa’s $125 eye treatment targets digital eyestrain and dry eyes with a blend of TCM acupressure and ‘cold mist atomization.’
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
What little green mist that had managed to make it through the hole quickly rose toward the ceiling, then up and out the same grate Jack and May had come in through.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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.
