haze

1 of 3

noun

ˈhāz 

1

a

: fine dust, smoke, or light vapor causing lack of transparency of the air

b

: a cloudy appearance in a transparent liquid or solid

also : a dullness of finish (as on furniture)

2

: something suggesting atmospheric haze

especially : vagueness of mind or mental perception : unclear state of mind

woke up in a haze

haze

2 of 3

verb (1)

hazed; hazing

transitive verb

: to make hazy, dull, or cloudy

intransitive verb

: to become hazy or cloudy

haze

3 of 3

verb (2)

hazed; hazing

transitive verb

1

a

: to harass by exacting unnecessary or disagreeable work

b

: to harass by banter, ridicule, or criticism

2

: to play tricks on or force to do unpleasant or unsafe things as initiation

haze the fraternity pledges

3

Western US : to drive (animals, such as cattle or horses) from horseback

hazer noun

Synonyms of haze

Noun

• fog
• cloud
• mist

Verb (2)

• tease
• taunt
• mock

Examples of haze in a Sentence

Noun

The bar was filled with a smoky haze.

She stumbled around in a drug-induced haze.

Verb (2)

the roughnecks on the oil rig would haze the young man for his refined manners and educated speech

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Travel named Joshua Tree National Park in San Bernardino County as one of the best places in the United States to watch the Perseid meteor shower, due to its low light pollution, minimal haze and dry climate. — Alexiah Syrai Olsen, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Someone notices the haze, the group texts start and facilities teams scramble to decide whether to close windows, change filters, cancel activities or send people home. — Sissi Liu, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Fires are often started illegally by plantation owners or traditional farmers to clear land for planting and those burns periodically blanket parts of Southeast Asia in hazardous haze, authorities said. — ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026

But periods of thick high clouds and some haze could make spotting meteors a bit more difficult over the next few nights. — Cutter Martin, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably back-formation from hazy

Verb (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

1801, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Verb (2)

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for haze

• baize
• bays
• blase
• blaze
• braes
• braze
• chaise
• claes
• clays
• craze
• dais
• days

Kids Definition

haze

1 of 3 noun

ˈhāz 

1

: fine dust, smoke, or light vapor causing lack of transparency in the air

2

: unclearness of mind or perception : daze

haze

2 of 3 verb

hazed; hazing

: to make or become hazy or cloudy

haze

3 of 3 verb

hazed; hazing

: to play unpleasant and humiliating tricks on (as new members of a college fraternity) or force to perform humiliating tasks or stunts

hazer noun

Etymology

Noun

from hazy

Verb

origin unknown