Drizzle is a word for very light rain, and it can also mean to pourto send a liquid downward in a steady flow or scatterto spread things in many directions, often loosely or unevenly liquid in a thin stream over something. As a verb, it can describe gentlesoft and mild, not strong or harsh rain or adding a little liquid to food.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈdrɪzəl/
Easy pronunciation: DRIZ-uhl (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the first syllable.
Noun meaning very light rain.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Drizzle Meaning
light rain
Part of speech: noun
Definition: very light rain, lighter than a shower
Example: A cold drizzle started just before noon.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- mizzle — A direct synonym for very light rain, though less common.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Drizzle
Meaning 2
to fall as light rain
Part of speech: verb
Definition: rain lightly
Example: It drizzled all afternoon.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- mizzle — A direct synonym in the rain-related verb sense.
Meaning 3
to add a little liquid in small drops
Part of speech: verb
Definition: moisten with fine drops
Example: Drizzle the salad with olive oil.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- moisten — Works only in a broad sense; it is less specific than drizzle and often sounds less natural in cooking contexts.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Drizzle Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- mizzle
to rain lightly
- mizzle
to moisten with fine drops
- moisten
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes confuse drizzle (light rain) with drizzle used in cooking, but they are different senses.
- Don't treat moisten as a general synonym for all uses of drizzle; it fits only the food/liquid sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does drizzle mean?
Drizzle usually means very light rain. It can also mean to add a liquid in a thin stream, especially when cooking.
What is a synonym for drizzle?
For the rain sense, mizzle is the closest synonym. For the cooking sense, moisten can work in a broader way.
Is drizzle a noun or a verb?
It can be both. As a noun, it means very light rain. As a verb, it can mean to rain lightly or to add liquid in fine drops.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
