1 B2 idiomatic neutral
(Of eyes) To fill with tears or become watery, especially due to emotion.
"Her eyes misted over as she read the letter from her late grandmother."
inseparable
mist over
B2 neutral inseparable intransitive
To become covered with a thin layer of moisture or to become vague and emotional.
In plain English
To become blurry because of water or emotion, or to become covered with a light fog.
What does "mist over" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
(Of a view, surface, or memory) To become unclear or indistinct.
"The valley misted over at dawn, hiding the farmhouses below from sight."
inseparable
3 B1 neutral
(Of a glass surface) To become covered with condensation.
"The bathroom mirror misted over as soon as he turned on the hot shower."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To have mist spread over a surface — the metaphorical extension to eyes and memory is idiomatic.
Actually means
To become blurry because of water or emotion, or to become covered with a light fog.
Usage tip
Used for physical fogging of surfaces and metaphorically for eyes filling with tears. Also used for memories or views becoming indistinct. The weather sense (landscape misting over) is also used in literary and descriptive writing.
Words that pair with "mist over"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
eyes glasses memory view windows landscape
How to conjugate "mist over"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
mist over
I/you/we/they
3rd person
mists over
he/she/it
Past simple
misted over
yesterday
Past participle
misted over
have + pp
-ing form
misting over
continuous
Hear "mist over" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "mist over" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "mist over"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
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