Wisp

A wisp is a small, delicate, or flimsy strand, particle, or amount of something, often of smoke, hair, or cloud. It can also refer to a person, especially a young woman, who is slight or delicate in build or character. The term implies a fleeting or unsubstantial quality, suggesting something that is easily lost or dispersed. A wisp can evoke a sense of fragility, ethereality, and often a subtle beauty. Furthermore, it can represent the faintest hint or suggestion of something, like a wisp of a smile or a wisp of an idea. The overall sense is one of delicacy, and impermanence.

Wisp meaning with examples

• A wisp of smoke curled lazily from the chimney, a sign that someone was home and a fire was burning inside, promising warmth on the chilly evening.
• She brushed a wisp of hair from her face, her movements quick, elegant, and graceful, like a dancer poised before the start of a ballet.
• Only a wisp of memory remained of the dream she had the night before, leaving her to wonder if it had truly happened or was a figment of her imagination.
• The wind carried a wisp of perfume, tantalizing yet unidentifiable, which suggested to them that there was someone nearby who was just out of sight.
• He felt only a wisp of hope flicker, which came from the news they had just heard, that their loved one was no longer missing, but was going to return.