waterproof
Americanadjective
noun
-
waterproofs
plural
verb (used with object)
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waterproofs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
waterproofed,
past participle, past
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waterproofing
present participle
adjective
noun
verb
Usage
What does waterproof mean? If something is waterproof, water can’t soak it or get inside of it. For example, waterproof boots will keep your feet dry even if you walk in water. Waterproof is also commonly used as a verb meaning to make something waterproof, as in We need to waterproof this basement so it won’t flood during rainstorms. Waterproof is sometimes used in the U. K. as a noun to refer to a waterproof garment, especially a raincoat, as in It’s raining, so you’d better wear your waterproof. Example: Make sure you get a waterproof tent—the ones that are only water-resistant can still let the rain in.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
waterproofsimple
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waterproofssimple
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have waterproofedperfect
-
has waterproofedperfect
-
am waterproofingprogressive
-
are waterproofingprogressive
-
is waterproofingprogressive
-
have been waterproofingperfect progressive
-
has been waterproofingperfect progressive
Past
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waterproofedsimple
-
had waterproofedperfect
-
was waterproofingprogressive
-
were waterproofingprogressive
-
had been waterproofingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of waterproof
Explanation
Water can't penetrate something that's waterproof. Umbrellas and rain boots don't work very well if they're not waterproof. Waterproof jackets will keep you dry even if it starts to rain, and waterproof mascara won't run in black streaks down your face even if you're weeping at a sad movie. You can use this word as a verb, too: "We should waterproof the tent before we go camping this weekend — it's supposed to pour!" If you're British, you might also use waterproof as a noun, to mean a waterproof rain coat.
Vocabulary lists containing waterproof
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:
Sandbags aren’t waterproof, but they can help slow the flow of water so the dozens of pump trunks the city deployed can keep up with the overflow.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
"Some of these diving birds' feathers seem to have been modern-looking and waterproof, but they also had some smaller, fuzzy, primitive body feathers that we associate with dinosaurs and enantiornithines," says O'Connor.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
With extreme weather events becoming increasingly frequent as a result of climate change, the Netherlands will have to rethink a strategy that has until now been "waterproof."
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
Many still made it through, planning their crossings with waterproof bags for phones, cash and other essentials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Our itchy, ill-fitting, peculiar sweaters weren’t fireproof or waterproof, as the emu-raffe had guessed.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
Other than sweating in his waterproofs, Colin's biggest complaint is traffic speeding through the village.
From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026
Buying your own private island off the Welsh coast does not necessarily require a lottery win, but waterproofs are a must if you are to negotiate low tide back to the mainland.
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026
I packed as I would for a hostile assignment: Layers and waterproofs to account for the notoriously moody weather.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 15, 2022
When the weather turned sour, as it has the tendency to do in Scotland, Timberlake was prepared with a pair of waterproofs from Ralph Lauren RLX, a G/FORE umbrella and a matching Clubglove golf towel.
From Golf Digest ● Sep. 28, 2019
I thought for a moment and with a small inward sigh remembered pulling the waterproofs out some days before and spreading them out in the basement to air.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
The actors’ costumes are not waterproofed, however, and the cast gets soaked.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Teflon was also used to make the DEG, which was waterproofed and covered with a conductive fabric to act as the electrodes.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 17, 2024
They are used in thousands of common household products, particularly those that are meant to be waterproofed or stain-resistant.
From Salon ● Nov. 13, 2023
As Google showed, that doesn’t necessarily require adding an extra physical key that has to be waterproofed.
From The Verge ● Jul. 30, 2022
He has galoshes that buckle on over his shoes instead of leather boots waterproofed with bacon grease.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
On St Kilda, before the archipelago was abandoned in 1930, birds were killed for their meat and also oils for fuel and waterproofing, while the feathers were used for clothing and bedding.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
At 443 Greenwich, the offering plan called for a brand new “green roof” with multiple layers of waterproofing, but condo owners alleged that the roof actually installed was a cheaper version.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
The other thing—the much better-known thing—is that they’re putting a waterproofing coating down at the bottom of the pool.
From Slate ● Jun. 4, 2026
Seabirds are especially at risk because oil destroyed the waterproofing of their feathers, leading to hypothermia and drowning.
From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026
And they are put together, at least by the best builders, without any cement or white lead, naked wood to wood, and depending only on close work for waterproofing.
From Woodcraft by George Washington Sears
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
