mist

¹

[mist]

noun

1. 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.

2. a cloud of particles resembling this.

   She sprayed a mist of perfume onto her handkerchief.

3. something that dims, obscures, or blurs.

   the mist of ignorance.

4. a haze before the eyes that dims the vision.

   a mist of tears.

5. a suspension of a liquid in a gas.

6. a drink of liquor served over cracked ice.

7. a fine spray produced by a vaporizer to add moisture to the air for breathing.

verb (used without object)

1. to become misty.

2. to rain in very fine drops; drizzle (usually used impersonally with it as subject).

   It was misting when they went out for lunch.

verb (used with object)

1. to make misty.

2. to spray (plants) with a finely diffused jet of water, as a means of replacing lost moisture.

mist.

²

abbreviation

1. (in prescriptions) a mixture.

mist

/ mɪst /

noun

1. a thin fog resulting from condensation in the air near the earth's surface

2. meteorol such an atmospheric condition with a horizontal visibility of 1–2 kilometres

3. a fine spray of any liquid, such as that produced by an aerosol container

4. chem a colloidal suspension of a liquid in a gas

5. condensed water vapour on a surface that blurs the surface

6. something that causes haziness or lack of clarity, such as a film of tears

verb

1. to cover or be covered with or as if with mist

mist

1. 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).

2. Compare fog

Other Word Forms

• mistless adjective
• demist verb (used with object)
• undermist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mist¹

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

Origin of mist²

From the Latin word mistūra

Word History and Origins

Origin of mist¹

Old English; related to Middle Dutch, Swedish mist, Greek omikhlē fog

Synonym Study

See cloud.

Example Sentences

If you’re a fan of—let’s just say the Wisconsin Badgers—you simply stare at the clouds and feel your eyes start to mist.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Chen shows the family trundling in a horse-drawn cart toward forbidding mountains wreathed in mist.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Coty in August said it was making a big push into fragrance mists, which are lighter than traditional perfumes and gaining popularity as consumers layer scents and look for lower-priced treats.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The day dawned foggy, but the low blanket of mist that hugged the land the day before had lifted.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"It wasn't a good look. There's definitely a little bit of red mist there. But nothing came of it."

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• cloud 
• dew 
• drizzle 
• fog 
• moisture 
• rain 
• smog 
• steam 

When To Use

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.