English Reference

Word

clouded

Phoneticscloud·ed

US/ˈkɫaʊdɪd/

UK/klˈaʊdɪd/

Definition

adj. confused or not clear. You use this to describe a situation where someone cannot think well or when the truth is hidden.

adj. characterised by a lack of clarity, transparency, or certainty. Often used to describe mental states or judgment that has been impaired by emotion or external factors.

Examples

“His judgment was clouded by his anger.”

“The future of the project remains clouded by uncertainty regarding the new government's funding priorities.”

“Even the most objective historians acknowledge that their interpretations are often clouded by the prevailing cultural biases of the era in which they write.”

Examples

simple

“His judgment was clouded by his anger.”

contextual

“The future of the project remains clouded by uncertainty regarding the new government's funding priorities.”

complex

“Even the most objective historians acknowledge that their interpretations are often clouded by the prevailing cultural biases of the era in which they write.”

Usage

Often follows a linking verb like 'remain', 'seem', or 'become'.

Etymology

From cloud + -ed.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/clouded

English Reference