dried-up
Americanadjective
-
depleted of water or moisture; gone dry.
a dried-up water hole.
-
shriveled with age; wizened.
a dried-up old mule skinner.
Etymology
Origin of dried-up
First recorded in 1810–20
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.
Running a big food company these days is like fishing in a dried-up pond.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026
With multiple trail options, the hillsides of this dried-up river valley are rife with vibrant blooms, particularly bush sunflowers and lacy phacelia.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026
Just outside her house, a large patch of dried-up shower gel marks the spot where one of the residents bathed earlier, in the open, with privacy provided only by the darkness before sunrise.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2024
Ingenuity remains in contact with its companion, the Perseverance rover, which has been exploring a dried-up river bed for signs of extinct Martian life.
From New York Times ● Jan. 25, 2024
We found the new orphanage in the northern part of Karteh-Seh, along the banks of the dried-up Kabul River.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
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.
