adjective
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moist with or as with dew
a dewy complexion
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of or resembling dew
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poetic suggesting, falling, or refreshing like dew
dewy sleep
Other Word Forms
- dewily adverb
- dewiness noun
- undewily adverb
- undewiness noun
- undewy adjective
Etymology
Origin of dewy
before 1000; Middle English; Old English dēawig; see dew, -y 1
Explanation
Something that's dewy is slightly damp, or beaded with moisture. The dewy grass early in the morning might leave wet marks on your sneakers. Anything that has dew on it — the tiny water drops left overnight by condensation — is dewy. The ground, leaves, blades of grass, and even your car might be dewy on a cool spring morning. You can also describe something very smooth and glowing, especially a person's skin, as dewy. The Old English root word is dēawig.
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.
I was sitting in Circle Clinic in the central Seoul district of Gangnam, surrounded by photos of impossibly dewy Korean faces with even better necks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025
Wearing an understated but chic outfit, flowing braids and a dewy, make-up free face, Arop Akol looks like your typical off-duty model.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2025
Make-up tutorials demonstrate how to get her baby-pink cheeks and dewy skin.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2024
In the sketch during the Weekend Update segment, Yang performed as a "dewy" hippo influencer and echoed lines from several of Roan's TikToks where she addressed her fans about respecting boundaries.
From Salon • Sep. 30, 2024
He fell to his knees on the dewy grass and fumbled for the alethiometer.
From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman
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.
