noun
haze
hayz
noun
1
A thin layer of smoke, dust, or moisture in the air that slightly blurs visibility.
"A heavy haze hung over the city after the wildfires."
"Through the haze, they could just make out the mountains."
2
A state of mental confusion or vagueness.
"She remembered the accident only as a haze."
verb
1
To subject someone, especially a newcomer, to humiliating or dangerous initiation rituals.
"The fraternity was suspended after members were caught hazing new pledges."
How to Use Haze
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA light fog-like haze in the air, mental fogginess, or (as a verb) forcing someone through a harsh initiation.
Common mistake
The verb sense (initiation ritual) is unrelated in feeling to the weather sense — context makes clear which is meant.
Common pairings
a haze of smoke
in a haze
hazing ritual
Word Forms
hazed past tense, hazed past tense, hazes plural, hazes singular, hazes singular
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A heavy _____ hung over the city after the wildfires.
Etymology
First recorded in the late 1600s; possibly a back-formation from "hazy," itself linked to an Old Norse word for grey.