moisturize
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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moisturizesimple
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moisturizessimple
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have moisturizedperfect
-
has moisturizedperfect
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am moisturizingprogressive
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are moisturizingprogressive
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is moisturizingprogressive
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have been moisturizingperfect progressive
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has been moisturizingperfect progressive
Past
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moisturizedsimple
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had moisturizedperfect
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was moisturizingprogressive
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were moisturizingprogressive
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had been moisturizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of moisturize
Explanation
To moisturize is to add moisture to something or make it less dry. The purpose of hand lotion is to moisturize your dry hands. Moisturize is most often used to talk about beauty products, like lotions and moisturizers. If your skin's dry, oil or cream will bring some moisture and softness back to it. And, if your hair is brittle, conditioner will moisturize it and make it smoother. A diet with plenty of healthful fat can help moisturize your hair and skin too. Moisturize adds -ize, a verb-forming suffix, to moisture, from the Old French moistour, "dampness."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
After 40 minutes of the technician repeatedly dragging a warm and gooey wand across my chest, I had 95 images—and enough gel on my skin to moisturize a lizard for a year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
His own routine is pretty basic: cleanse, tone and moisturize along with using the line’s other products including facial scrub, antiperspirant and body washes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 5, 2026
The two women, who are Black, were discussing a new cream they had been using to style and moisturize their curly hairstyles.
From New York Times ● Jun. 21, 2023
Apply either product to pimples twice a day and moisturize the surrounding skin, not the pimple itself.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 6, 2022
Be sure to moisturize with an ultra- hydrating serum like The Corporation’s new Skin So Right B14 Complex for Total Cell Renewal, made with essential vitamins, minerals, and concentrated yak’s bladder.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
And cosmetic companies were captivated by its miracle properties: It foams in toothpaste, moisturizes soaps and lathers in shampoo.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 18, 2020
It bubbles in shampoo, foams in Colgate toothpaste, moisturizes Dove soap and helps keep lipstick from melting.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 23, 2020
And the “shine oil-in-stick” somehow moisturizes your lips, while leaving a desirable stain as it dries off.
From Slate ● Nov. 29, 2019
Sebaceous glands coat the skin with a waxy, protective substance called vernix caseosa that protects and moisturizes the skin and may provide lubrication during childbirth.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013
“Tones, moisturizes, helps protect skin and supports collagen production,” promises the box, which also shows a woman’s before-and-after photos, with “proven visible results” listed beneath.
From New York Times ● May 6, 2013
And the one thing I’m missing in life is a lotion that makes my skin feel super moisturized and attracts Wolf spiders.
From New York Times ● Dec. 29, 2023
Better known as “RM,” he is the frontman of the supergroup BTS, the face of millennial, moisturized South Korean cool.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 30, 2023
Apply Surf Soap’s Rehab Balm, a restorative deep conditioner, before or after a surf to keep hair moisturized or use it as a follow-up to the All-in-One bar to avoid unruly, tangly hair and breakage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2022
Keeping your nasal passages moisturized is another simple, safe remedy that might help children and adults get some relief from the flu or cold.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 31, 2022
“Chiamaka should see life as it is, ejima m,” Kainene said, as they moisturized their faces.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The skincare brand’s R&D team developed a moisturizing stick designed specifically for the neck.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
Teaming with the Perrin family, winemakers in the South of France, Beau Domaine incorporates organic grape water, known for its soothing and moisturizing properties, into some of its products.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 5, 2026
The moisturizing effects of seaweed are also prized by the beauty industry as today's consumers place greater value on natural – and environmentally friendly – skincare ingredients.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2024
To create the artificial lymph node, the scientists used hyaluronic acid, a moisturizing substance commonly used in cosmetics and lotions and found naturally in the body's skin and joints.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 6, 2024
I use some moisturizing cream to gather it all up, brush it, and pin it into a neat bun.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
