mist

1 of 2

noun

ˈmist 

1

: water in the form of particles floating or falling in the atmosphere at or near the surface of the earth and approaching the form of rain

2

: something that obscures understanding

mists of antiquity

3

: a film before the eyes

4

a

: a cloud of small particles or objects suggestive of a mist

b

: a suspension of a finely divided liquid in a gas

c

: a fine spray

5

: a drink of liquor served over cracked ice

mist

2 of 2

verb

misted; misting; mists

intransitive verb

1

: to be or become misty

—usually used with up

My glasses mist up.

2

: to become moist or blurred

—usually used with up or over

eyes misting over

3

: to rain very lightly

transitive verb

: to cover or spray with or convert to mist

a misted valley

misting plants

Synonyms of mist

Noun

• rainfall
• sprinkle
• drizzle
• precipitation

Verb

• obscure
• blur
• darken
• fog
• cloud
• haze

Examples of mist in a Sentence

Noun

We could barely see the shore through the mist.

The hills were veiled in a fine mist.

an issue clouded by mists of confusion

Verb

The plant should be misted regularly.

It was misting when we arrived.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Other finalists include photos of mist rolling over hills in Vietnam, a massive chunk of ice calving from a glacier in Argentina and smoke from wildfires obscuring the New York City skyline. — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026

Packed with hardworking actives, the products range from face and eye masks to serums, day cream, and face mist. — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2026

Verb

Misting regularly is one way to increase humidity, although misting alone isn’t sufficient in a dry location or climate. — Lauren David, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2026

Lightly mist rolls with water from spray bottle; sprinkle with flaky sea salt. — Hana Asbrink, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Middle Dutch mist mist, Greek omichlē

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing mist

• love-in-a-mist
• mist net

Rhymes for mist

• cist
• cyst
• didst
• fist
• gist
• grist
• hissed
• kissed
• kist
• list
• missed
• schist

Kids Definition

mist

1 of 2 noun

ˈmist 

1

: water in the form of particles floating in the air or falling as fine rain

2

: something that keeps one from seeing or understanding clearly

mist

2 of 2 verb

1

: to be or become misty

2

: to become dim or blurred

3

: to cover with a mist