cloudy
Americanadjective
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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:
Freshly eroded fragments make the coastal ocean cloudy, while dissolved organic carbon can darken the water.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026
North Sea coasts from Northumberland to Suffolk could remain cloudy and misty on Saturday but should be much sunnier on Sunday.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Across the kitchen, one such professional, Pat Clougherty, poured himself a finger of the cloudy beverage, which had been bought in the local supermarket, into a rocks glass.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
Their history is littered with “can’t miss” prospects that they saw a cloudy future in and traded away to unsuspecting teams.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026
It’s like a cloudy day in the mountains, when the water is flat as the metal of a tank.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
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
In England and Wales, where the early patchy fog cleared quickly, cloudier skies are expected to dominate into the afternoon.
From BBC ● May 4, 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
The cloudier the solution, the fewer active viruses remained.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2025
Drizzle floats over the hilltop and the sky gets cloudier.
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
The cloudiest conditions are likely to be in east Wales, central, eastern and northern parts of England, and eastern and northern Scotland.
From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2026
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
These opinions, and stranger than these, he put forth in the cloudiest style, the wilfullest humour, and the stormiest excitement.
From William Blake A Critical Essay by Swinburne, Algernon Charles
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.
