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.
Other areas have huge fans, mist sprayers and cooled flooring systems to mitigate the searing heat.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
But take note if you are planning to visit the east coast of England - you may come across some mist.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
The red-stone Trinetra Ganesha temple pops against the green mist of the forest primeval.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 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
He breathed the mist, and he knew that the idea of goodness was a great con.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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.
