dehydrate

American  

[dee-hahy-dreyt] / diˈhaɪ dreɪt /

verb (used with object)

• dehydrates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dehydrated,
  past participle,  past
• dehydrating
  present participle

1. to deprive (a chemical compound) of water or the elements of water.

2. to free (fruit, vegetables, etc.) from moisture for preservation; dry.

3. to remove water from (the body or a tissue).

4. to deprive of spirit, force, or meaning; render less interesting or effectual.

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verb (used without object)

• dehydrates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dehydrated,
  past participle,  past
• dehydrating
  present participle

1. to lose water or moisture.

   Milk dehydrates easily.

dehydrate British  

/ ˌdiːhaɪˈdreɪt, diːˈhaɪdreɪt /

verb

1. to lose or cause to lose water; make or become anhydrous

2. to lose or cause to lose hydrogen atoms and oxygen atoms in the proportions in which they occur in water, as in a chemical reaction

3. to lose or deprive of water, as the body or tissues

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Synonym Usage

See evaporate.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dehydration
  noun
• dehydrator
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• dehydrating
  present
• dehydrated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• dehydrate
  simple
• dehydrates
  simple
• have dehydrated
  perfect
• has dehydrated
  perfect
• am dehydrating
  progressive
• are dehydrating
  progressive
• is dehydrating
  progressive
• have been dehydrating
  perfect progressive
• has been dehydrating
  perfect progressive

Past

• dehydrated
  simple
• had dehydrated
  perfect
• was dehydrating
  progressive
• were dehydrating
  progressive
• had been dehydrating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will dehydrate
  simple
• will have dehydrated
  perfect
• will be dehydrating
  progressive
• will have been dehydrating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of dehydrate

First recorded in 1850–55; de- + hydrate

Explanation

To make a raisin, you dehydrate a grape. To dehydrate is to remove all of the water from, or to dry up. When you exercise a lot, it's good to drink water so that your body doesn't dehydrate. Signs of dehydration in a person? Dry mouth, exhaustion, dark urine, the chills, and head rushes. If you experience these, get a drink quick! Signs of dehydration in a fruit? Wrinkled skin and extra sweetness. Yum!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dehydrate dehydrates dehydrated dehydrating

"To see nanoscale structures with standard electron microscopy, we fix and dehydrate the tissues, but freezing them retains their shape -- similar to freezing a grape rather than dehydrating it into a raisin," Watanabe said.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026

“There’s this myth that coffee is a diuretic and is going to dehydrate you, it’s not true,” says Juli MacKenna, manager of clinical nutrition at Tufts Medicine MelroseWakefield Hospital.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

But do not direct it at a child's body because that can dehydrate them.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

Mehta recommends switching to a hydrating, more cream based, cleanser and also decreasing application of products such as retinoids, exfoliant, and vitamin C, which can dehydrate skin.

From National Geographic ● Nov. 28, 2023

Constantly drenched in salt water, the men began to dehydrate.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Its competitor, Lomi, grinds and dehydrates food scraps, requiring the byproduct to be mixed with soil before composting, whereas Reencle says its byproduct can be composted directly.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 6, 2023

While Gatorade has traditionally emphasized hydration, caffeine is a diuretic that dehydrates the body; Fast Twitch is meant for before a workout, with consumers drinking a more hydrating beverage during and after exercise.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 1, 2022

Ward dehydrates vegetable pulp along with seasonings and soaked chia seeds and even nuts, using the same method as fruit leather, to make raw vegan crackers.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2022

The company sources its roses from South America and dehydrates the flowers at peak bloom.

From Fox News ● Feb. 1, 2022

The hands are sterilised before putting on the gloves, preferably by a method which dehydrates the skin.

From Manual of Surgery Volume First: General Surgery. Sixth Edition. by Alexis Thomson

She became lethargic, dehydrated and disinterested in food.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

In very high temperatures, especially for older adults or people who are dehydrated or unwell, fans alone may not be enough.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

She was left with a piece of apple but was stressed and dehydrated.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

“If it’s too hot, disabled people get dehydrated, and it’s difficult to breathe,” said Funaro.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

The agent added some dehydrated foodstuff packets, an aluminum mess kit, kissed Marilyn again, and left.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

"To see nanoscale structures with standard electron microscopy, we fix and dehydrate the tissues, but freezing them retains their shape -- similar to freezing a grape rather than dehydrating it into a raisin," Watanabe said.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026

The “How to” sections on such topics as infusing butter, dehydrating fruit and assembling a layer cake are helpful supplements to the book’s occasionally complex recipes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

The NHS recommends drinking more water when there's a higher risk of dehydrating, including when sweating due to hot weather.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2025

Meanwhile inside of a game’s universe humans survive by dehydrating to a flatness that enables others to roll them up and carry them around like a yoga mat.

From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2024

The contagion caused severe diarrhea, dehydrating the body so that blood thickened; sufferers’ skin turned dark blue.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• dry out