wisp

1 of 2

noun

ˈwisp 

1

: a small handful (as of hay or straw)

2

a

: a thin strip or fragment

b

: a thready streak

a wisp of smoke

c

: something frail, slight, or fleeting

a wisp of a girl

a wisp of a smile

3

archaic : will-o'-the-wisp

wispily

ˈwi-spə-lē 

adverb

wispiness

ˈwi-spē-nəs 

noun

wispy

ˈwi-spē 

adjective

wisp

2 of 2

verb

wisped; wisping; wisps

transitive verb

1

: to roll into a wisp

2

: to make wisps of

a cigarette wisping smoke at the corner of his mouth

—Raymond Chandler

intransitive verb

: to emerge or drift in wisps

her hair began to wisp into her eyes

—Mary Manning

Examples of wisp in a Sentence

Noun

Wisps of steam rose up from the teapot.

Wisps of cotton candy clung to his mouth.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This is a wisp of a premise — aside from her muted graffiti efforts, our protagonist’s grief manifests itself more as general moodiness than anything particularly tangible. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024

Since the end of July, the Cardinals have been but a wisp of smoke. —Katie Woo, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024

Verb

There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, not even a cirrus wisp or fading contrail. —Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 11 July 2024

Tropical trade winds blow in a band across the equator, spinning off cyclones and storms, which wisp away and scatter into westerly currents. —Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 17 Dec. 2015

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1753, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing wisp

• a wisp of a girl/boy
• will-o'-the-wisp

Kids Definition

wisp

noun

ˈwisp

1

: a small bunch of hay or straw

2

a

: a thin piece or strand

b

: a faint streak

a wisp of smoke

c

: something weak, slight, or delicate

a wisp of a smile

wispy

ˈwis-pē

adjective