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.
It’s a light mist, then a transparent tone; a crude rasp, then soft and broken or boldly ringing and round, and often many of the above within a single song.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
Too much mist increases humidity, which reduces your body's ability to sweat and cool down as there's more moisture in the air.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Dudamel first conducted it at the Hollywood Bowl, where it washed over the amphitheater like a mist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
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
And all the time the yellow-white mist floated about them, and sometimes shapes flitted just within their sight, and voices whispered.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
“Administrators reeled, choking on its noxious reek, as it tore their offices asunder. Cut slips, tardy slips, suspension notices, bad conduct notices, report cards--all were swept away in its churning mist. It was...the RED TIDE.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2023
The hot air escaping from the chamber caused the flame to flicker, but presently details of the room within emerged from the mist. x Can you see anything q?”
From New York Times ● Nov. 20, 2010
“Uncle Jack, I don’t know why you elect to disappear into the mist. Dr. Finch scratched his head and a tuft of gray hair stood up. “I’m sorry,” he said.
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
“This woman, she is in a swirling mist. She is fading in and out, hovering between life and death. I see her grasping, begging—she doesn’t want to leave us. Wait!”
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
“He got a message to me—he sent it on a breath of mist. He is gaining in his power.”
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
HEAF: Starting in July, mists will come in different forms such as roller balls, multiple sizes and carrying a higher fragrance load.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
The victories won by gladiatrixes like Achillia, meanwhile, are all but lost to the mists of ages.
From Salon ● Dec. 20, 2025
That’s in part thanks to companies riding a wave of greater interest and offering more formulations and types of packaging, such as body mists and travel sizes, that are often cheaper.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 12, 2025
That could be a long time coming, even as visitors continue to wonder at the resplendent feathered headdress, a marvel from an era shrouded in the mists of time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2025
“The Shrouded Lord has ruled these mists since Garin’s day,” said Yandry.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Diane Kostka planted a sign at each checkpoint for her husband and son and misted them with a spray bottle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2025
Settled in a working-class Los Angeles neighborhood, invalid parent and rebellious child clash: Anne “never so much as misted an eye when Louisa could see,” Choi writes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2025
That means not throwing them straight into the produce drawer, and instead storing them in a misted, sealed bag.
From Science Magazine ● Jan. 23, 2024
As the mood darkens, even this underwhelmed critic misted up at the sight of the two men quietly holding each other in bed.
From New York Times ● Dec. 1, 2022
Moonlight misted over the rough floors and made the sparse room glow silver, the goldfish bowl looking like a second moon.
From "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin
The Rajasekhar family raised their arms in front of the giant misting machine opposite the Colosseum in Rome.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
Water trucks and misting systems will be used to suppress dust, and equipment will be fitted with noise-reducing mufflers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2025
Six days a week, Mr. Sawan, 55, a father of five, tows batches of fruit that weigh 1,500 pounds to a nearby processing plant, often as planes buzz overhead, misting down pesticides.
From New York Times ● Dec. 30, 2023
"We have deployed a range of fire protection devices, including a misting system in the attics, where the oak frame and spire are located - a first for a cathedral in France," he said.
From BBC ● Dec. 17, 2023
The wolf let his tongue loll out between his teeth, tasting the frigid air, his breath misting as snowflakes melted on his tongue.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
