fog
fog
Pronunciation
fog: /fɒɡ/
/f/ - voiceless labiodental fricative
/ɒ/ - open-mid back rounded vowel
/ɡ/ - voiced velar stop
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: fog
Plural Noun: fogs
Present Participle Verb: fogging
Past Tense/Past Participle Verb: fogged
Third Person Singular Present Verb: fogs
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition: A thick cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere at or near the Earth's surface, significantly reducing visibility.
Synonyms: mist, haze, smog, pea-souper
Antonyms: clarity, sunshine, clear sky
Definition: A state of mental confusion or disorientation; a lack of clear understanding or perception.
Synonyms: daze, stupor, muddle, bewilderment
Antonyms: lucidity, clarity, awareness, sharpness
Verb
Definition: To cover or envelop with fog; to become obscured or indistinct as if by fog.
Synonyms: obscure, shroud, cloud, blur, dim
Antonyms: clarify, clear, brighten, illuminate
Definition: To cause a person to become confused or disoriented; to make someone's mind unclear.
Synonyms: confuse, muddle, bewilder, disorient, perplex
Antonyms: enlighten, clarify, inform, orient
Examples of Use
Books:
"The fog came on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on." (Carl Sandburg, Fog, 1916) - This classic poem uses "fog" as its central imagery, personifying it.
"A great, black, flapping bird, with a long beak, appeared for an instant to perch upon the highest pinnacle of the distant church; then it fogged away into the distance, as if it were a dream." (Bram Stoker, Dracula, May 1897) - Here, "fogged" is used as a verb to describe something disappearing indistinctly.
Newspapers:
"Dense fog caused significant delays at London Heathrow Airport this morning, leading to numerous flight cancellations." (The Guardian, December 2024) - This exemplifies the literal use of "fog" in weather reporting.
"Experts warn of a fog of misinformation surrounding the upcoming election, making it difficult for voters to discern facts from fiction." (The New York Times, October 2024) - This uses "fog" metaphorically to describe a state of confusion or obscurity.
Online Publications:
"Navigating the Fog of Digital Transformation: Strategies for Small Businesses" (Forbes.com, January 2025) - This headline uses "fog" to represent the challenges and uncertainties of a complex process.
"Scientists are studying how climate change might influence the frequency and intensity of coastal fog events." (National Geographic online, November 2024) - A scientific context for the natural phenomenon.
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: In the movie The Mist (2007), a mysterious fog rolls into a small town, bringing with it terrifying creatures. - Here, "fog" is a central element of the plot and horror.
Video Game: Players often encounter "pea-souper" fog in survival horror games like Silent Hill, adding to the atmosphere and limiting visibility. - "Fog" is used as a gameplay mechanic and atmospheric element.
Music: The lyrics "I'm lost in a fog of memories, trying to find my way back to you" might appear in a melancholic song. - "Fog" is used metaphorically to describe a state of emotional or mental cloudiness.
Television Series: "The detective found himself in a fog of contradictory statements, making it difficult to piece together the truth." (Dialogue from a crime drama, Law & Order: SVU, April 2024) - "Fog" is used to describe a confusing situation or lack of clarity.
General Public Discourse:
"The economic forecast is still a bit in a fog, so we're waiting to see how things develop before making any major investments." - Colloquial use referring to uncertainty.
"After that long flight, my brain was in a total fog; I couldn't even remember my hotel room number." - Casual use to describe mental exhaustion or confusion.
"Let's try to cut through the fog of bureaucracy and get a clear answer on this." - Metaphorical use referring to unnecessary complexity or lack of transparency.
10 Quotes Using Fog
"The fog comes on little cat feet." (Carl Sandburg, Fog, 1916)
"Truth is the torch that gleams through the fog without dispelling it." (Claude Adrien Helvetius)
"I like the muted sounds, the shroud of grey, and the silence that comes with fog." (Om Malik)
"Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." (E. L. Doctoror)
"If we cannot clear away the fog, it might be better to rise to a higher level and get above it." (Charles Haddon Spurgeon)
"You never realized how thick your fog was until it lifted." (J.R. Ward)
"Sometimes a fog will settle over a vessel's deck and yet leave the topmast clear." (Charles Spurgeon)
"The fog was where I wanted to be." (Eugene O'Neill, Long Day's Journey Into Night)
"Beyond the fog lies clarity." (Anonymous)
"The fog of information can drive out knowledge." (Daniel J. Boorstin)
Etymology
The word "fog" has a bit of a misty past itself!
It's thought to have come from a Scandinavian origin, possibly from words like the Old Norse "fokka," meaning "snowdrift" or "shower," or the Swedish "fogg," meaning "long grass." The idea here is that these words might have conveyed a sense of something thick, dense, or perhaps obscure, which eventually led to our modern understanding of fog.
The first known use of "fog" in English, with a meaning similar to what we understand today – that is, a thick cloud near the ground – appears around the early 15th century. So, for over 600 years, "fog" has pretty much meant that familiar cloudy obscurity that rolls in and makes it hard to see!
Phrases + Idioms Containing Fog
In a fog: To be confused, disoriented, or unclear in thought.
A fog of war: The uncertainty and confusion inherent in military operations.
To fog up: To become covered with mist or condensation (e.g., glasses fogging up).
To clear the fog: To make a situation clearer or easier to understand.
Lost in the fog: To be confused or without direction, either literally or figuratively.
Thick as a fog: Extremely dense or heavy (referring to literal fog, or sometimes used metaphorically for something very unclear).
Pea-souper fog: A very thick, often yellowish or brownish, fog, especially common in historical urban environments with pollution.
To cut through the fog: To clarify a confusing situation or argument.
A fog of doubt: A pervasive feeling of uncertainty or skepticism.
His mind was in a fog: He was unable to think clearly or concentrate.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of fog from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
