cloudy

IPA/ˈklaʊdi/
KK[klˈaʊdi]IPA/ˈklaʊdi/

cloudy — adjective

  • cloudypositive
  • cloudiercomparative
  • cloudiestsuperlative

1. describes a sky that is mostly covered by clouds, so that the sun is weak or can

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

describes a sky that is mostly covered by clouds, so that the sun is weak or cannot be seen at all

Example

The sky was cloudy all morning, so the Watanabe family decided not to go to the beach.

cloudy all morning — duration pattern

Aiko checked the weather forecast and saw that it would be cloudy for the whole weekend.

would be cloudy — future prediction with weather

Common collocations
  • cloudy sky
  • cloudy weather
  • cloudy morning
  • cloudy afternoon
  • partly cloudy
  • cloudy day
  • become cloudy
  • turn cloudy
Synonyms
  • overcast

    suggests a darker, more complete cover of clouds; more formal

  • gray

    describes the colour of the sky rather than the cloud cover directly; common in everyday speech

  • gloomy

    adds a feeling of sadness or darkness; also describes a person's mood

Antonyms
  • clear

    no clouds; bright sun

  • sunny

    specifically with strong sunshine

Grammar Patterns

be + cloudy

cloudy + noun (day / sky / morning / weather)

Usage Note

Commonly used with weather nouns such as 'day', 'morning', 'afternoon', 'sky', and 'weather'. Can be both attributive ('a cloudy morning') and predicative ('the morning is cloudy').

Common Mistakes

Today is very cloud.
Today is very cloudy.
'cloud' is a noun; add '-y' to form the adjective.
It was clouded all day.
It was cloudy all day.
'clouded' describes vision or judgment, not the weather.

2. describes a liquid or a transparent material that is no longer see-through becau

2.adjective
Definition

describes a liquid or a transparent material that is no longer see-through because tiny solid particles are mixed in, or because the surface has become dull

Example

The water in the pond looked cloudy after the heavy rain washed mud into it.

water ... looked cloudy — predicative with sense verb

Yusuf poured the cloudy juice down the sink because it had started to ferment.

cloudy juice — attributive use with drink noun

Common collocations
  • cloudy water
  • cloudy liquid
  • cloudy juice
  • cloudy glass
  • turn cloudy
  • become cloudy
  • look cloudy
Synonyms
  • murky

    darker and dirtier; used for rivers, lakes, or ponds

  • milky

    specifically white and opaque, like milk

  • hazy

    suggests vapour or mist rather than solid sediment

Antonyms
  • clear

    transparent, easy to see through

  • crystal-clear

    completely transparent, no particles at all

Grammar Patterns

become / grow / turn + cloudy

look / appear + cloudy

cloudy + noun (water / liquid / juice / glass)

Usage Note

Frequently used to describe liquids that have gone bad (juice, milk) or containers that have become dirty or aged (glass, aquarium). Does not usually describe large bodies of water like oceans — 'murky' is more natural there.

Common Mistakes

The river was cloudy after the storm.
The river was murky after the storm.
'murky' is the preferred word for large natural bodies of water.
The window is cloudy with fingerprints.
The window is smudged with fingerprints.
'cloudy' implies an overall loss of transparency, not temporary marks.

3. describes a thought, memory, idea, or future situation that is not clear, defini

3.adjective
Definition

describes a thought, memory, idea, or future situation that is not clear, definite, or well understood

Example

Kofi's memory of his first day at school is cloudy — he only remembers the big red door.

memory ... is cloudy — common pattern with recall nouns

The details of the contract are still cloudy, so Leila asked the lawyer to explain each point.

details ... are still cloudy — used with information nouns

Common collocations
  • cloudy memory
  • cloudy idea
  • cloudy future
  • remain cloudy
  • still cloudy
  • become cloudy
Synonyms
  • vague

    more common and neutral; can be used both before and after a noun

  • unclear

    more direct; works in both attributive and predicative positions

  • hazy

    suggests something is distant or seen through a fog in the mind

  • fuzzy

    informal; like a blurry photograph or a confused recollection

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

memory / thought / idea + be + cloudy

details / future / plan + remain + cloudy

explanation / answer + seem + cloudy

Usage Note

Only used predicatively (after 'be', 'remain', 'seem') — you cannot say 'a cloudy idea' in standard English. This sense is less common than 'vague' or 'unclear' and tends to sound slightly literary or figurative.

Common Mistakes

He gave a cloudy explanation.
His explanation was cloudy.
This sense is predicative only; do not place 'cloudy' before the noun.
My understanding is very cloudy about this topic.
My understanding of this topic is cloudy.
Use 'of' to connect the topic, not 'about'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe weather with limited sun, but they differ in degree and feeling. 'Cloudy' is the most neutral and common — it simply means the sky has many clouds, with no suggestion of darkness or mood. 'Overcast' implies a thicker, more uniform grey cover where the sun is completely hidden and likely won't appear soon; it is more formal and often used in weather reports. 'Gray' focuses on the colour of the sky rather than the cloud cover itself and can be used conversationally ('It's another gray morning'). 'Gloomy' adds an emotional layer — the dark sky makes everything feel sad or depressing ('a gloomy November afternoon'). 'Hazy' suggests a thinner, misty veil rather than distinct clouds, often caused by humidity or pollution. For everyday conversation, 'cloudy' and 'gray' are the most natural choices; for writing about mood or atmosphere, 'gloomy' or 'overcast' give more colour.

overcast ↗gray ↗gloomy ↗hazy ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • look cloudy
  • become cloudy
  • turn cloudy
  • remain cloudy
  • stay cloudy

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'cloud' comes from Old English 'clud', which originally meant 'a mass of rock' or 'a hill'. By the 13th century, English speakers were using it for masses of vapour in the sky, perhaps because both rock formations and vapour formations appear as large, irregular shapes. The suffix '-y', meaning 'full of' or 'characterized by', was added in the 14th century to form 'cloudy'. The figurative senses — murky liquids and unclear thoughts — developed over the following centuries as natural extensions of the idea of reduced visibility.