in a fog

Idioms  

1. Also, in a haze. Preoccupied, not paying attention; also, at a loss, confused. For example, After the accident he went about in a fog, even though he had not been injured, or Millie always seems to be in a haze; she never knows what's going on. These expressions allude to fog or haze obscuring one's view; the fog usage dates from about 1600, haze from about 1800.

---

Example Sentences

Berry felt as if she were in a fog.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

These days, economists find themselves in a fog with respect to the labor market.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 18, 2025

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell recently analogized the lack of economic data during the government shutdown to driving in a fog.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

"As Chair Powell said – 'When you are driving in a fog, you slow down.'"

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2025

Just as zero punches a hole in the smooth sheet of general relativity, zero smooths and spreads out the sharp point charge of the electron, covering it in a fog.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• baffled
• bewildered
• clueless
• doubtful
• mystified
• perplexed
• rattled