Illustration of cloud
- 1 cirrus
- 2 cirrostratus
- 3 cirrocumulus
- 4 altostratus
- 5 altocumulus
- 6 stratocumulus
- 7 nimbostratus
- 8 cumulus
- 9 cumulonimbus
- 10 stratus
1
: a visible mass of particles of condensed vapor (such as water or ice) suspended in the atmosphere of a planet (such as the earth) or moon
2
: something resembling or suggesting a cloud: such as
a
: a light filmy, puffy, or billowy mass seeming to float in the air
a cloud of blond hair
a ship under a cloud of sail
b(1)
: a usually visible mass of minute particles suspended in the air or a gas
(2)
: an aggregation of usually obscuring matter especially in interstellar space
(3)
: an aggregate of charged particles (such as electrons)
c
: a great crowd or multitude : swarm
clouds of mosquitoes
3
: something that has a dark, lowering, or threatening aspect
clouds of war
a cloud of suspicion
4
: something that obscures or blemishes
a cloud of ambiguity
5
: a dark or opaque vein or spot (as in marble or a precious stone)
6
: the computers and connections that support cloud computing
storing files in the cloud
—often used before another nouncloud storage/backup
cloud software
clouded; clouding; clouds
1
: to grow cloudy
—usually used with over or up
clouded over before the storm
2
a
of facial features
: to become troubled, apprehensive, or distressed in appearance
her face clouded with worry
b
: to become blurry, dubious, or ominous
—often used with over
the outlook is clouding over
3
: to billow up in the form of a cloud
1
a
: to envelop or hide with or as if with a cloud
b
: to make opaque especially by condensation of moisture
steam clouded the windows
c
: to make murky especially with smoke or mist
smoke clouded the sky
2
: to make unclear or confused
cloud the issue
4
: to cast gloom over
cloud prospects for success
Synonyms
Examples of cloud in a Sentence
Noun
The sun is shining and there's not a cloud in the sky.
flying high above the clouds
It stopped raining and the sun poked through the clouds.
a cloud of cigarette smoke
The team has been under a cloud since its members were caught cheating.
There's a cloud of controversy hanging over the election.
Verb
greed clouding the minds of men
These new ideas only cloud the issue further.
The final years of her life were clouded by illness.
Recent Examples on the Web
Mary Gilbert, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024
Elsewhere, Kong added that there will probably also be some breaks in the clouds from northern Arkansas to central Ohio behind a front.
—Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
Here's the latest forecast along the path of totality:
Mazatlan, Mexico: Dry and mostly cloudy with a few breaks in the clouds.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2024
The clouds will be high in the sky and thin, and shouldn't significantly affect viewability as the noon completely covers the sun, said meteorologist Aaron Updike.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Apr. 2024
Right now, precipitation will end for much of western Ohio by Monday morning, and the thickest cloud coverage should begin to move off to the east.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 5 Apr. 2024
Think of snuggling under a thick crocheted blanket or lounging on a cloud sofa.
—Sharon Greenthal, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Apr. 2024
The clouds are part of a low-pressure system expected to be over the Great Plains region this weekend before shifting over the Great Lakes by Monday.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
The pandemic unleashed a cloud of virulent conspiracy theories centring on vaccines, 5G, mind control, and Bill Gates.
—Peter Guest, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
Nell Derick Debevoise, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
From the pen of a composer clouded in deafness and declining health, the monumental Diabelli Variations exploded one of the classical era’s most popular musical forms into a transcendent statement of independence, defiance, and resilience.
—Detroit Free Press, 22 Mar. 2024
Yet allowing the specifics of his ascent to be clouded by disdain is not much better than allowing his memory to be ennobled by mystery.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
But on Capitol Hill, the mood darkened, as debates over immigration policy clouded the overall funding picture.
—Nick Miroff, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024
One of them, a father of three, told the court news coverage about the situation would probably cloud his judgment.
—Lauren Del Valle, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024
The survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality of over 92,000 binary and nonbinary transgender people offers a window into a world often clouded by misconceptions.
—Susan Miller, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani will make his first public comments on Monday about the controversy that has clouded the start of MLB's 2024 season.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 25 Mar. 2024
Trump’s victory comes amid a bevy of unresolved legal battles that have clouded his campaign despite its success so far.
—Kendrick Marshall, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024
Noun
Notice how the cumulus clouds diminish during the #eclipse and take almost an hour after totality to redevelop!
—Mary Gilbert, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024
Elsewhere, Kong added that there will probably also be some breaks in the clouds from northern Arkansas to central Ohio behind a front.
—Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
Here's the latest forecast along the path of totality:
Mazatlan, Mexico: Dry and mostly cloudy with a few breaks in the clouds.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2024
The clouds will be high in the sky and thin, and shouldn't significantly affect viewability as the noon completely covers the sun, said meteorologist Aaron Updike.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Apr. 2024
Right now, precipitation will end for much of western Ohio by Monday morning, and the thickest cloud coverage should begin to move off to the east.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 5 Apr. 2024
Think of snuggling under a thick crocheted blanket or lounging on a cloud sofa.
—Sharon Greenthal, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Apr. 2024
The clouds are part of a low-pressure system expected to be over the Great Plains region this weekend before shifting over the Great Lakes by Monday.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
The pandemic unleashed a cloud of virulent conspiracy theories centring on vaccines, 5G, mind control, and Bill Gates.
—Peter Guest, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
Verb
However, its true definition and application have been clouded by misconceptions, notably the popularized Venn diagram that has misled many.
—Nell Derick Debevoise, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
From the pen of a composer clouded in deafness and declining health, the monumental Diabelli Variations exploded one of the classical era’s most popular musical forms into a transcendent statement of independence, defiance, and resilience.
—Detroit Free Press, 22 Mar. 2024
Yet allowing the specifics of his ascent to be clouded by disdain is not much better than allowing his memory to be ennobled by mystery.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
But on Capitol Hill, the mood darkened, as debates over immigration policy clouded the overall funding picture.
—Nick Miroff, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024
One of them, a father of three, told the court news coverage about the situation would probably cloud his judgment.
—Lauren Del Valle, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024
The survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality of over 92,000 binary and nonbinary transgender people offers a window into a world often clouded by misconceptions.
—Susan Miller, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani will make his first public comments on Monday about the controversy that has clouded the start of MLB's 2024 season.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 25 Mar. 2024
Trump’s victory comes amid a bevy of unresolved legal battles that have clouded his campaign despite its success so far.
—Kendrick Marshall, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cloud.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, rock, cloud, from Old English clūd; perhaps akin to Greek gloutos buttock
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1562, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of cloud was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing cloud
Dictionary Entries Near cloud
Cite this Entry
“Cloud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cloud. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
cloud
1 of 2 noun1
: a visible mass of particles of water or ice in the form of fog, mist, or haze usually high in the air
2
a
: a usually visible mass of tiny particles in the air or bits of matter between stars
b
: a group of charged particles (as electrons)
3
: something resembling or thought to be like a cloud
a cloud of mosquitoes
under a cloud of suspicion
4
: something that appears dark or threatening
clouds of war
5
: the computers and connections that support cloud computing
storing files in the cloud
cloudless
adjective
-ləs
cloud
2 of 2 verb1
: to make or become cloudy
2
: to darken or hide with or as if by a cloud
smog clouded our view
More from Merriam-Webster on cloud
Nglish: Translation of cloud for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of cloud for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cloud
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share