plural clouds
1
: a white or gray mass in the sky that is made of many very small drops of water
The sun is shining and there's not a cloud in the sky.
a rain cloud
flying high above the clouds
It stopped raining and the sun poked through the clouds.
Thick cloud cover [=a large number of clouds in the sky] hid the moon.
2
a
: a large amount of smoke, dust, etc., that hangs in the air
a cloud of cigarette smoke
clouds of steam/gas
dust clouds
b
: a large group of things (such as insects) that move together through the air
a cloud [=swarm] of bees
3
: a feeling or belief that a person or organization has done something wrong
The company remains under a cloud of suspicion. [=people believe the company did something wrong]
The team has been under a cloud since its members were caught cheating.
There's a cloud of controversy/uncertainty/doubt hanging over the election.
4
: the large computers (called servers) that you can connect to on the Internet and use for storing data
The app allows you to store your music and photographs in the cloud. [=on the Internet]
cloud computing [=the use of Internet servers for storing data]
clouds; clouded; clouding
1
: to confuse (a person's mind or judgment)
The alcohol must have clouded my judgment. [=made me unable to think clearly]
greed clouding the minds of men
2
: to make (something, such as an issue or situation) difficult to understand
These new ideas only cloud the issue further.
3
: to affect (something) in a bad way
a scandal that continues to cloud [=tarnish, taint] his reputation
The final years of her life were clouded by illness.
4
of the sky
: to become covered with clouds
—usually + over
The sky clouded over, and it began to rain.
5
: to cover or fill (a room, the sky, etc.) with large amounts of smoke, dust, etc.
The room was clouded with cigarette smoke.
smog clouding the sky
6
: to cover (glass, a window, etc.) with many very small drops of water
Steam clouded [=fogged up] the bathroom mirror.
clouding the camera lens
7
of a person's face or eyes
: to show that someone is worried or unhappy
Her face clouded with concern.
Her eyes clouded over with tears.
Cite this Entry
“Cloud.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/cloud. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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