What does "fog" mean?
A thick cloud that forms near the ground; the obscurity of such a cloud.
Fog
/fɑɡ/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A thick cloud that forms near the ground; the obscurity of such a cloud.
- Grammar: fog is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: haze, addle, addle the wits, addling.
- Useful contrasts: clarify, clarity, clear.
- Usage evidence: The airport was closed because of the fog.
How to use "fog"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "fog" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "fog" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "fog" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "fog" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "fog" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "haze" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "fog", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A thick cloud that forms near the ground; the obscurity of such a cloud. uncountable
"a bank of fog"
- 2 A new growth of grass appearing on a field that has been mowed or grazed. uncountable
"The inclosures of fog, or aftergrass, reserved for spring-feed, are now supposed to be shut up, also the burnet, which is never to be fed in autumn ..."
- 3 Initialism of fat, oil, and grease. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable
- 4 confusion characterized by lack of clarity wordnet
- 5 A mist or film clouding a surface. uncountable
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 Tall and decaying grass left standing after the cutting or grazing season. UK, dialectal, uncountable
"[…] and they generally leave a great deal of Fog to rot on the Ground, which, with the Help of his well turned Dung-hill, dress his Ground […]"
- 7 Initialism of frequency of gobbledygook: the commonness of long and complicated words in a text, as measured by systems like the Gunning fog index. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable
- 8 droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground wordnet
- 9 A state of mind characterized by lethargy and confusion. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"He did so many drugs, he was still in a fog three months after going through detox."
- 10 Moss. Scotland, uncountable
- 11 an atmosphere in which visibility is reduced because of a cloud of some substance wordnet
- 12 A silver deposit or other blur on a negative or developed photographic image. countable, uncountable
- 13 Distance fog. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To become covered with or as if with fog. intransitive
- 2 To pasture cattle on the fog (of), or aftergrass, of; to eat off the fog from (a field). transitive
- 3 To practice in a small or mean way; to pettifog. intransitive, obsolete
"Where wouldst thou fog to get a fee?"
- 4 make less visible or unclear wordnet
- 5 To become obscured in condensation or water. intransitive
"The mirror fogged every time he showered."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 To become covered with the kind of grass called fog. intransitive
- 7 To become dim or obscure. intransitive
- 8 To make dim or obscure. transitive
- 9 To spoil (film) via exposure to light other than in the normal process of taking a photograph. transitive
- 10 To cover with or as if with fog. transitive
"Fogging for adult mosquito control began on June 4th in residential areas. Until September 25th, the Metro area was fogged eleven times, using nine truck-mounted foggers, eight hand swing foggers, and two boats."
- 11 To disperse insecticide into (a forest canopy) so as to collect organisms. transitive
- 12 To obscure in condensation or water. transitive
"Unfortunately, the pendulum has swung way too far to the other end where the saying in the industry is is^([sic]) that if you could fog a mirror, you could get a loan."
- 13 To make confusing or obscure. transitive
Adjective
- 1 Initialism of fraudulently-obtained genuine, a type of illicit passport. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, not-comparable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The airport was closed because of the fog."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "fog"?
Common synonyms include: haze, addle, addle the wits, addling, adumbrate, advection fog.
How do you use "fog" in a sentence?
The airport was closed because of the fog.
How do you pronounce "fog"?
Pronounced /fɑɡ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Origin uncertain; but probably of North Germanic origin. Probably either a back-formation from foggy (“covered with tall grass; thick, marshy”), from the earlier-attested fog (“tall grass”) (see below), or from or related to Danish fog (“spray, shower, drift, storm”), related to Icelandic fok (“spray, any light thing tossed by the wind, snowdrift”), Icelandic fjúka (“to blow, drive”), from Proto-Germanic *feukaną (“to whisk, blow”), from Proto-Indo-European *pug- (“billow, bulge, drift”), from *pew-, *pow- (“to blow, drift, billow”), in which case related to German fauchen (“to hiss, spit, spray”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English fogge (“tall grass”), probably from Norwegian fogg (“tall, worthless grass”); compare Scots fog (“moss; lichen”).
Etymology 3
Compare Old Dutch focker.