vaporous

adjective

va·​por·​ous ˈvā-p(ə-)rəs 

1

: consisting or characteristic of vapor

2

: producing vapors : volatile

3

: containing or obscured by vapors : misty

4

a

: ethereal, unsubstantial

b

: consisting of or indulging in vaporings

vaporously adverb

vaporousness noun

Examples of vaporous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sculptural yet vaporous lightweight dresses were among the highlights. —Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2025

But the film plays so coy with its backstory, offering it in dribs and drabs, that its initial emotional tension soon turns vaporous and phony. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025

This fluttering, vaporous, slightly mysterious pas de deux was created, in 1980, for the ballerina Merrill Ashley, a technical powerhouse with a hidden lyrical side. —Jillian Steinhauer, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025

On the eyes, shadows come in shades of caramel, bronze, and smoky brown, applied in a halo across the lid to create a vaporous color. —Jeanne Ballion, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin vaporōsus "full of steam," from vapor "steam, vapor entry 1" + -ōsus -ous

First Known Use

1527, in the meaning defined at sense 1