misty winds

Meanings

1. 1phrasepluralliterary

   Winds that carry mist or blow through misty air, so the air feels damp and hard to see through.

   Grammar: Used as a plural noun phrase; it takes a plural verb, as in "Misty winds were blowing."

   Patterns

   • misty winds blow
   • misty winds from the sea
   • cold misty winds

   Misty winds blew in from the harbor and hid the far shore.

   We walked home through misty winds that left our coats damp.

   Misty winds and low clouds kept the planes on the ground all morning.

2. 2phrasepluralfigurativeliterary

   A way of describing an atmosphere that feels vague, uncertain or slightly sad, as if seen through mist.

   Grammar: Figurative use; often appears in writing about moods or memories rather than real weather.

   Patterns

   • misty winds of memory
   • misty winds of the past

   The old song carries misty winds of memory with it.

   His letters are full of misty winds and half-remembered summers.

Common combinations

misty winds blow

Misty winds blew across the empty field at dawn.

cold misty winds

Cold misty winds made the morning feel much colder than it was.

misty winds from the sea

Misty winds from the sea covered the cliffs in white.

misty winds and rain

Misty winds and rain greeted the fishermen at the pier.

drift in on misty winds

The smell of smoke drifted in on misty winds.

Synonyms and how they differ

damp winds

Focuses on wetness rather than on the mist that limits your view.

foggy winds

Suggests thicker, denser fog, so visibility is even worse than with misty winds.

hazy winds

Usually describes heat haze or dust, not the cool damp air that misty winds suggest.

Opposites

Word family

mist noun

A thin cloud of tiny water drops that hangs in the air.

misty adjective

Covered with or full of mist.

mistily adverb

In a way that is covered with mist or unclear.

mistiness noun

The state of being misty or hard to see through.

windy adjective

With a lot of wind blowing.

Commonly confused: misty winds or windy? misty winds or misty wind?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “misty winds”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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