dehydrate

American  

[dee-hahy-drayt] / 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

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Etymology

Origin of dehydrate

First recorded in 1850–55; de- + hydrate

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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

May I have it, I asked sheepishly—to dehydrate and to make jam, I explained.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

"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

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

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

They dehydrate dangerously quickly without it, even in cooler seasons.

From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones

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

This addition coagulates any albumen and dehydrates the fat.

From Soap-Making Manual A Practical Handbook on the Raw Materials, Their Manipulation, Analysis and Control in the Modern Soap Plant. by E. G. Thomssen

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

You don't need to shun your favourite coffee either just because it's hot - although too much caffeine can make the body produce more urine, and leave you dehydrated.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026

Mom and Ron were hanging out in the family room, even though he wasn’t part of our family I went to the kitchen to get some dehydrated ice cream.

From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer

Standard electron microscopy commonly involves chemically fixing and dehydrating tissue, steps that can alter the structures scientists are trying to observe.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026

For those who do head out to eat, the health ministry has issued some advice: to choose pasta over meat, and switch dehydrating coffee or cold beer for a glass of water.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

I fill the bicycle trailer and, back home, launch into a flurry of dehydrating, freezing and jam-making.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026

Every trip requires McBride, 43, to undergo a special regimen, dehydrating himself so he won’t have to use the bathroom in flight.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 15, 2026

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

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Related Words

• dry out

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