cobwebs

7 synonyms for cobwebs, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — The tangled, dusty remains of old spider webs, especially the grey strands found in corners, ceilings and unused rooms.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

fog

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

spider webs gossamer webbing grogginess rustiness staleness

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

The tangled, dusty remains of old spider webs, especially the grey strands found in corners, ceilings and unused rooms.

“The attic was thick with cobwebs and dead flies.”

spider webs gossamer webbing

2. noun figurative

A feeling of mental dullness, staleness or grogginess, imagined as something to be cleared away.

“A run before breakfast blows away the cobwebs.”

grogginess rustiness fog staleness

How to use cobwebs

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

blow away the cobwebs covered in cobwebs clear the cobwebs dust and cobwebs

Neutral. The figurative use is idiomatic and slightly informal.

Etymology

From Middle English coppeweb, from Old English coppe 'spider' plus web; the first element survives only in this compound.

Full origin of cobwebs →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a cobweb and a spider web?

In everyday use, a spider web is the fresh, functioning web a spider is living in, while a cobweb is an abandoned one gone dusty and shapeless. Zoologically the distinction is looser — cobweb is also a name for the irregular tangle-webs built by certain house spiders.

What does blow away the cobwebs mean?

To clear your head and shake off dullness, usually by getting outside into fresh air or exercise. It treats mental staleness as accumulated dust that a brisk walk can sweep out.

Is there a singular form?

Yes, a cobweb, but the plural dominates because cobwebs are almost always noticed in quantity. The figurative sense is plural only — you blow away the cobwebs, never a cobweb.

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fog staleness gossamer webbing grogginess rustiness

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