# drizzle

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈdɹɪz.l/ · frequency rank #23,814

## Definitions
1. To rain lightly.
2. To shed slowly in minute drops or particles.
3. To pour slowly and evenly, especially oil or honey in cooking.
4. To cover by pouring in this manner.
5. To urinate.
6. To carry out parfilage, the process of unravelling.

## Etymology
Perhaps a back-formation from dryseling, a dissimilated variant of Middle English drysning (“a falling of dew”), from Old English drysnan (“to extinguish”), related to Old English drēosan (“to fall, to decline”), making it cognate to modern English droze and drowse. Compare also dialectal Swedish drösla.

## Easily confused with
- **dazzle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dazzle-vs-drizzle)
- **dribble** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dribble-vs-drizzle)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ddrizzle`, `dirzzle`, `drizle`, `drizlze`, `drizzel`, `drizzlle`, `drrizzle`, `drzizle`, `rdizzle`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/drizzle