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

Prior to the weigh-in, which takes place a day before fight night, they may dehydrate to lose the final bit of weight.

From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2025

Hydrating the salt releases heat, which is used to heat the building, and extra heat from the heat pump at other times of day is required to dehydrate, or charge, the TCM.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 19, 2024

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

But first, to bake them so that their skins crisp and the insides dehydrate even more, wash and dry the skin well and poke the potato all over with a fork.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 12, 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 Thomson, Alexis

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

Temperatures hit over 100 degrees, and some exhausted and dehydrated people were seen passing out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026

Jesus Perez, a vet in Caracas, is one of several from his profession who brought food, IV fluids and medicines to treat injured or dehydrated pets.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

And if the power goes out and people lose access to AC, there is also a higher chance they’ll overheat, become dehydrated and end up at the hospital.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

“That’s perfect to trade with. We can’t make dehydrated food here, except fruit, and traveling with regular food is a total pain. SpagBol’s good as gold.”

From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld

It acquired Canada’s largest spice firm in 1959, and nabbed a California-based vegetable dehydrating plant in 1961.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026

So during an intense workout or while dealing with a dehydrating illness, consuming a salty snack or sports beverage can help.

From Salon ● Jan. 21, 2025

"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," says Watanabe.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 2, 2024

Older people say they are intentionally dehydrating themselves or not leaving the house because of a lack of public toilets.

From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2024

He did seem aware, though, if only just, that the heat of the water was beginning to have a dehydrating effect on him.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger

Related Words

• dry out