Refers to a thin, light mist or haze, often implying a soft, blurry atmospheric effect. Compared to 霧 (きり, fog), もや is thinner and less dense.
See also: 霧
In the morning, a mist hung over the river.
Early in the morning, mist was rising off the river surface.
The distant mountains look hazy through the mist.
As the sun rose higher, the mist began to clear.
Driving a car through the mist is dangerous.
もや describes a light haze or thin mist, whereas 濃霧 is much denser and implies dangerous visibility conditions.
もや means a natural haze or mist with no implication of pollution, whereas スモッグ specifically denotes polluted, often industrial haze.
Usually written in kana; the kanji 靄 is rare and may not be recognized by all readers.
Kanji form; rarely used in modern writing.
Katakana spelling, sometimes used for stylistic effect or in informal contexts.
The origin is uncertain; it may be related to the mimetic word もやもや (hazy, fuzzy). The kanji 靄 is a phono-semantic compound with 雨 (rain) and 謁 (meet), but the reading もや is a native Japanese word.