mist

¹ American  

[mist] / mɪst /

noun

1. a cloudlike aggregation of minute globules of water suspended in the atmosphere at or near the earth's surface, reducing visibility to a lesser degree than fog.

2. a cloud of particles resembling this.

   She sprayed a mist of perfume onto her handkerchief.

3. something that dims, obscures, or blurs.

   the mist of ignorance.

4. a haze before the eyes that dims the vision.

   a mist of tears.

5. a suspension of a liquid in a gas.

6. a drink of liquor served over cracked ice.

7. a fine spray produced by a vaporizer to add moisture to the air for breathing.

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verb (used without object)

1. to become misty.

2. to rain in very fine drops; drizzle (usually used impersonally with it as subject).

   It was misting when they went out for lunch.

verb (used with object)

1. to make misty.

2. to spray (plants) with a finely diffused jet of water, as a means of replacing lost moisture.

mist. ² American  

abbreviation

1. (in prescriptions) a mixture.

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mist British  

/ mɪst /

noun

1. a thin fog resulting from condensation in the air near the earth's surface

2. meteorol such an atmospheric condition with a horizontal visibility of 1–2 kilometres

3. a fine spray of any liquid, such as that produced by an aerosol container

4. chem a colloidal suspension of a liquid in a gas

5. condensed water vapour on a surface that blurs the surface

6. something that causes haziness or lack of clarity, such as a film of tears

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verb

1. to cover or be covered with or as if with mist

mist Scientific  

/ mĭst /

1. A mass of fine droplets of water in the atmosphere near or in contact with the Earth. Mist reduces visibility to not less than 1 km (0.62 mi).

2. Compare fog

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Usage

What else does mist mean? Content warning: this article references illicit drugs. A mist is, literally speaking, a cloud of fine liquid droplets, but in slang it can variously refer to drugs and the experience of being on them. Mist can also be an alternative spelling or misspelling of missed.

Related Words

See cloud.

Other Word Forms

• demist verb (used with object)
• mistless adjective
• undermist noun

Etymology

Origin of mist¹

First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch, Low German, Swedish mist; akin to Greek omíchlē “fog,” Russian mgla “mist,” Sanskrit megha “cloud”; (verb) Middle English misten, Old English mistian, derivative of the noun

Origin of mist.²

From the Latin word mistūra

Explanation

Mist is a very dense water vapor, almost as thick as fog. Light rain can sometimes form a mist that makes it hard to see the road when you're driving. The mist you see in the air on a damp spring morning is similar to the mist you spray when you water your plants — it's made up of tiny water droplets. As a verb, mist means "to cover with mist," so you might mist your dry plants or watch your windows mist up in the rain. Mist can also refer to a general dimness or cloudiness: "She watched through the mist of her tears."

Example Sentences

New Vogue Spa’s $125 eye treatment targets digital eyestrain and dry eyes with a blend of TCM acupressure and ‘cold mist atomization.’

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Monique felt a mist fall over her and realized the passenger was spraying her down with perfume.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

The Eye Spa machine uses a “cold mist atomization process,” Xie said, “that disperses micro-particles of moisture combined with soothing essential oils.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

Tule fog forms when heat escapes from the ground on clear, calm nights, and moisture in the air condenses into a low-lying mist.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

And there was something else—a chill mist, which he could not see but could feel, dampening his hands and rising into his face and nose.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Related Words

• cloud
• dew
• drizzle
• fog
• moisture
• rain
• smog
• steam