Mist is a cloud of tiny water droplets hanging in the air close to the ground, making everything look soft and hazy. When you walk through mist on a cool morning, you might feel dampness on your face and clothes, even though it's not quite raining. Mist forms when warm, moist air cools down and the water vapor condenses into millions of microscopic droplets that float rather than fall.

Mist is thinner than fog: if you can see farther than about half a mile ahead, it's mist rather than fog. On misty mornings, distant trees and buildings look blurry and dreamlike, their edges softened by the moisture in the air. Mist often appears near rivers, lakes, or oceans, especially at dawn when the air temperature drops.

The word can also mean a fine spray of liquid, like the mist from a spray bottle or the ocean mist that blows off crashing waves. When you mist plants with water, you're creating tiny droplets to keep them healthy.