haze

Meaning

Noun

1. (uncountable, usually) Very fine solid particles (smoke, dust) or liquid droplets (moisture) suspended in the air, slightly limiting visibility. (Compare fog, mist.)
2. (uncountable, usually) A reduction of transparency of a clear gas or liquid.
3. (uncountable, usually) An analogous dullness on a surface that is ideally highly reflective or transparent.
4. (figuratively, uncountable, usually) Any state suggestive of haze in the atmosphere, such as mental confusion or vagueness of memory.
5. (uncountable, usually) The degree of cloudiness or turbidity in a clear glass or plastic, measured in percent.
6. (countable, usually) Any substance causing turbidity in beer or wine.

Verb

To be or become hazy, or thick with haze.

Verb

1. (US, informal) To perform an unpleasant initiation ritual upon a usually non-consenting individual, especially freshmen to a closed community such as a college fraternity or military unit.
2. To oppress or harass by forcing to do hard and unnecessary work.
3. (transitive) In a rodeo, to assist the bulldogger by keeping (the steer) running in a straight line.
4. (transitive) To use aversive stimuli on (a wild animal, such as a bear) to encourage it to keep its distance from humans.

Synonyms

mist

fog

🌫️

blur

vapour

cloud

☁️

steam

dim

carp at

daze

quibble

blurry

cloudy sky

befog

scold

gauze

darkness

tease

blear

blast

banter

blackout

call down

bullyrag

berate

cant

ban

catcall

cavil at

chaff

chastise

annoy

bully

darn

bring up

darken

cryptic

blurriness

beat

bad-mouth

dark

crepuscule

cover

blurred

comb

deride

dew

cloudy

☁️

dimness

disease

be after

Translations

foschia

brume

Dunst

brouillard

🌫️

bruma

neblina

🌫️

Nebel

🌫️

caligine

niebla

🌫️

mist

🌫️

nevel

🌫️

nebbia

🌫️

névoa

bruma

Pronounced as (IPA)

/heɪz/

Etymology

Cognate with Old Norse: höss

Cognate with Old English: hasu

In summary

* The earliest instances are of the latter part of the 17th century.
* Possibly back-formation from hazy.
* Compare Old Norse höss (“grey”), akin to Old English hasu (“gray”).