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Meaning & use

fogged up

adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌfɒɡd ˈʌp/
US/ˌfɔːɡd ˈʌp/

Meaning

  1. adjectivenot comparable

    Covered with a thin layer of small water drops so you cannot see through clearly.

    Grammar: Used after linking verbs such as be, get, or become, not before a noun: say 'The mirror is fogged up,' not 'a fogged up mirror' in most everyday speech.

    Patterns

    • be fogged up
    • get fogged up
    • something is fogged up with something

    After my shower, the bathroom mirror was completely fogged up.

    My glasses got fogged up as soon as I walked into the warm cafe.

    The car windows were fogged up, so she wiped them with her sleeve.

Common combinations

completely fogged up
The windshield was completely fogged up after the rain.
get fogged up
My goggles get fogged up when I swim.
fogged up windows
We couldn't see the view because of the fogged up windows.
fogged up with steam
The kitchen was fogged up with steam from the boiling pot.

Synonyms and how they differ

steamed up
Very similar, but 'steamed up' is more common for glass or mirrors covered by steam from hot water or cooking.
misty
Describes air or weather with fine drops of water, not a surface you look through; 'misty' is about the air, while 'fogged up' is about the glass.
cloudy
Can describe a surface that is not clear, but it often means permanently unclear or dirty, not temporarily covered by water drops.

Opposites

clearunfogged

Word family

fog noun
A thick cloud of tiny water drops near the ground that makes it hard to see.
foggy adjective
Full of fog; used about weather or air, as in 'a foggy morning'.
fog up phrasal verb
To become covered with a misty layer, or to make something become covered that way.

Commonly confused: fogged up or foggy? fogged up or fogged?

fogged up vs foggy

'Foggy' describes the weather or air (a foggy day), while 'fogged up' describes a surface like glass or plastic that has water drops on it.

fogged up vs fogged

'Fogged' alone can mean made confusing or unclear, as in 'a fogged memory'; 'fogged up' specifically means covered with a misty layer you can see.

Practice

After the hot shower, the bathroom mirror was completely ______.

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