drier

[ drahy-er ]

/ ˈdraɪ ər /

noun

a person or thing that dries.

any substance added to paints, varnishes, printing inks, etc., to make them dry quickly.

QUIZZES

QUIZ TIME: TEST YOUR MEMORY OF THE MAY 2020 WORDS OF THE DAY

Let the aeolian gusts transport you back to these popular Words of the Day from the month of May. How many do you remember?

Question 1 of 10

Which of the following words means “to travel or journey, especially to walk on foot”?

hightail

peregrinate

perpetrate

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of drier

1300–50; Middle English dreyere (as surname). See dry, -er¹

Words nearby drier

driech, dried, dried-fruit beetle, dried-up, driegh, drier, dries, driesch, driest, drift, drift anchor

Definition for drier (2 of 3)

drier²

[ drahy-er ]

/ ˈdraɪ ər /

adjective

comparative of dry.

Definition for drier (3 of 3)

dry

[ drahy ]

/ draɪ /

adjective, dri·er, dri·est.

free from moisture or excess moisture; not moist; not wet: a dry towel; dry air.

having or characterized by little or no rain: a dry climate; the dry season.

characterized by absence, deficiency, or failure of natural or ordinary moisture.

not under, in, or on water: It was good to be on dry land.

not now containing or yielding water or other liquid; depleted or empty of liquid: The well is dry.

not yielding milk: a dry cow.

free from tears: dry eyes.

drained or evaporated away: a dry river.

desiring drink; thirsty: He was so dry he could hardly speak.

causing thirst: dry work.

served or eaten without butter, jam, etc.: dry toast.

(of cooked food) lacking enough moisture or juice to be satisfying or succulent.

(of bread and bakery products) stale.

of or relating to nonliquid substances or commodities: dry measure; dry provisions.

(of wines) not sweet.

(of a cocktail)

made with dry vermouth: a dry Manhattan.
made with relatively little dry vermouth: a dry martini.

characterized by or favoring prohibition of the manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors for use in beverages: a dry state.

(of British biscuits) not sweet.

plain; bald; unadorned: dry facts.

dull; uninteresting: a dry subject.

expressed in a straight-faced, matter-of-fact way: dry humor.

indifferent; cold; unemotional: a dry answer.

unproductive: The greatest of artists have dry years.

(of lumber) fully seasoned.

Building Trades.

(of masonry construction) built without fresh mortar or cement.
(of a wall, ceiling, etc., in an interior) finished without the use of fresh plaster.

Ceramics.

unglazed.
insufficiently glazed.

Art. hard and formal in outline, or lacking mellowness and warmth in color.

verb (used with object), dried, dry·ing.

to make dry; free from moisture: to dry the dishes.

verb (used without object), dried, dry·ing.

to become dry; lose moisture.

noun, plural drys, dries.

a prohibitionist.

a dry place, area, or region.

Verb Phrases

dry out,

to make or become completely dry.
to undergo or cause to undergo detoxification from consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol.

dry up,

to make or become completely dry.
to cease to exist; evaporate.
Informal. to stop talking.
(in acting) to forget one's lines or part.

Origin of dry

before 900; Middle English drie, Old English drȳge; akin to Dutch droog, German trocken; see drought

SYNONYMS FOR dry

20 tedious, barren, boring, tiresome, jejune.

29 dehydrate.

ANTONYMS FOR dry

1 wet.

20 interesting.

synonym study for dry

1. Dry, arid both mean without moisture. Dry is the general word indicating absence of water or freedom from moisture: a dry well; dry clothes. Arid suggests great or intense dryness in a region or climate, especially such as results in bareness or in barrenness: arid tracts of desert. 28. See evaporate.

OTHER WORDS FROM dry

dry·a·ble, adjectivedry·ly, adverbdry·ness, nouno·ver·dry, adjective

o·ver·dry·ly, adverbo·ver·dry·ness, nounpre·dry, verb (used with object), pre·dried, pre·dry·ing.re·dry, verb, re·dried, re·dry·ing.ul·tra·dry, adjectiveun·der·dry, verb (used with object), un·der·dried, un·der·dry·ing.un·dry, adjectiveun·dry·a·ble, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for drier

Extra dry, for example, is actually sweeter than brut, which is drier than demi-sec, which is somewhat sweet.
Champagne: You’re Drinking It All Wrong|Kayleigh Kulp|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Western Carson County [where the Smiths live] is one of the drier spots in the state,” he says.
The Texas Drought Seen Firsthand from the Eyes of Ranchers|Malcolm Jones|August 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Just when I think Jemaine is the dry cute one, Bret does something even cuter and drier.
10 Hot Valentines|Jessi Klein|February 14, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Also, we ain't gettin' no drier standin' here chewin' about it.
Desert Conquest|A. M. Chisholm

Pat crawled forward, while I stepped aside to look out for some drier sticks.
Snow Shoes and Canoes|William H. G. Kingston
I was always fond of philosophy, even in its drier forms; but from a ruby lip, it comes with charms irresistible.
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. I (of 9)|Thomas Jefferson
I will make monsieur more comfortable,' she said, and she lifted him to a drier place upon the bank.
A Dozen Ways Of Love|Lily Dougall
One day this drier got blocked, and the ore would not run down.
Edison, His Life and Inventions|Frank Lewis Dyer and Thomas Commerford Martin