What does cloudiest mean?
'Cloudiest' is the superlative form of the adjective 'cloudy', used to describe whatever has the greatest degree of cloud cover among those being considered. Literally, it applies to weather: meteorologists might identify the cloudiest month of the year, or a city might earn a reputation as the cloudiest in its country based on annual sunshine statistics. Figuratively, it extends to anything obscure or murky — a cloudiest chapter of history, a cloudiest stretch of someone's memory, or a cloudiest patch of judgment. The word carries a somewhat gloomy connotation even beyond weather, since heavy overcast suggests dimness and uncertainty. It follows the standard pattern for two-syllable adjectives ending in '-y', taking '-ier' and '-iest' rather than 'more' and 'most'. Both British and American English use it identically, and its meaning is transparent enough that it rarely causes confusion.
Superlative of 'cloudy': having the most cloud cover; most overcast.
"It was the cloudiest afternoon of an otherwise bright week."
Used both literally of weather and figuratively of anything obscure or gloomy.
Most obscure, murky, or lacking clarity.
"That decade remains the cloudiest period in the company's financial record."
Common in journalistic and historical writing.
In meteorology's rankings of the world's cloudiest cities, places like Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands can go weeks with barely a glimpse of direct sunshine — and 'cloudiest' is how records like that get written.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cloudiest
'Cloudiest' derives from 'cloudy', formed by adding the suffix '-y' to 'cloud', which entered Middle English from Old English 'clūd', originally meaning a mass of rock or hill before shifting to denote masses of vapor in the sky. The adjective takes the Germanic comparative and superlative suffixes '-er' and '-est', which have been the standard means of grading English adjectives since Old English. Its relatives include 'cloudiness', 'cloudless', and the verb 'to cloud', all built on the same root.
Related word forms
How cloudiest is actually used
Standard comparative and superlative forms ('cloudier', 'cloudiest') are preferred over 'more cloudy' and 'most cloudy' in both British and American English. The figurative sense is common in journalism and historical writing, often describing periods, motives, or memories.
Easily confused with cloudiest
'Cloudier' is the comparative form used to compare two things, while 'cloudiest' is the superlative used when three or more are compared.