misty

adjective

ˈmi-stē 

mistier; mistiest

1

a

: obscured by mist

b

: consisting of or marked by mist

2

a

: indistinct

a misty recollection of the event

b

: vague, confused

avoided the large, vague, misty issues

—Reuben Abel

3

: tearful

mistily

ˈmi-stə-lē 

adverb

mistiness

ˈmi-stē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• beclouded
• befogged
• brumous
• clouded
• cloudy
• foggy
• gauzy
• hazy
• murky
• smoggy
• soupy

Examples of misty in a Sentence

enjoyed the misty view of the thunderous falls from the deck of the sightseeing boat

I've a misty understanding of the issue but not so much that I could vote intelligently.

Recent Examples on the Web

The rain, which arrived in the North Bay part of the region late Sunday was expected to migrate to the South Bay and drop light, misty rain measuring in the tenths of inches through the afternoon, NWS meteorologist Dial Hoang said. —Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2025

The present-day Affleck and titular accountant from The Accountant 2 seems to briefly reach out and touch the Sad Affleck of days of yore in this final memory, his eyes almost misty and voice quiet. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025

Today, its entire world has shrunk to the cool, misty canopy of the Alakaʻi Plateau. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025

But even here on a cool and quiet, misty and slightly drizzly day on the border of fall and winter, there were birds to be found. —Jack Gedney, The Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing misty

• get (all) misty
• misty-eyed

Rhymes for misty

• cristae

Kids Definition

misty

adjective

ˈmis-tē 

mistier; mistiest

1

: full of mist

a misty valley

2

: vague sense 3, indistinct

a misty memory

mistily

-tə-lē 

adverb

mistiness

-tē-nəs 

noun