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

Also called white rainbows or lunar rainbows, these rare effects can appear in the mists coming off the falls after dark when the moon is full or almost full. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 20 Jan. 2026

Quadruped water gun robots deploy high-pressure pulse systems to release micron-level water mist. —Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 19 Jan. 2026

Verb

Combine one part fabric softener with three parts water in a spray bottle and then lightly mist the carpet, being careful not to saturate the material. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2026

Orchids that are epiphytes like moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) and Cattleya, which grow on trees, benefit from misting because their leaves will absorb the moisture. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 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
• fist
• gist
• grist
• hissed
• kissed
• kist
• list
• missed
• schist
• tryst

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