dry
Americanadjective
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free from moisture or excess moisture; not moist; not wet.
a dry towel; dry air.
- Antonyms:
- wet
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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.
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not yielding milk.
a dry cow.
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free from tears.
dry eyes.
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drained or evaporated away.
a dry river.
-
desiring drink; thirsty.
He was so dry he could hardly speak.
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causing thirst.
dry work.
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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.
- Antonyms:
- interesting
-
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.
-
insufficiently glazed.
-
Art. hard and formal in outline, or lacking mellowness and warmth in color.
verb (used with object)
-
dries,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dried,
past participle, past
-
drying
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
dries,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dried,
past participle, past
-
drying
present participle
noun
-
drys,
plural
-
dries
plural
-
a prohibitionist.
-
a dry place, area, or region.
verb phrase
-
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.
-
idioms
adjective
-
lacking moisture; not damp or wet
-
having little or no rainfall
-
not in or under water
dry land
-
having the water drained away or evaporated
a dry river
-
not providing milk
a dry cow
-
(of the eyes) free from tears
-
-
informal in need of a drink; thirsty
-
causing thirst
dry work
-
-
eaten without butter, jam, etc
dry toast
-
(of a wine, cider, etc) not sweet
-
pathol not accompanied by or producing a mucous or watery discharge
a dry cough
-
consisting of solid as opposed to liquid substances or commodities
-
without adornment; plain
dry facts
-
lacking interest or stimulation
a dry book
-
lacking warmth or emotion; cold
a dry greeting
-
(of wit or humour) shrewd and keen in an impersonal, sarcastic, or laconic way
-
opposed to or prohibiting the sale of alcoholic liquor for human consumption
a dry area
-
(of a ewe) without a lamb after the mating season
-
electronics (of a soldered electrical joint) imperfect because the solder has not adhered to the metal, thus reducing conductance
verb
-
to make or become dry or free from moisture
-
(tr) to preserve (meat, vegetables, fruit, etc) by removing the moisture
noun
-
informal a Conservative politician who is considered to be a hard-liner Compare wet
-
informal the dry season
-
an informal word for prohibitionist
Synonym Usage
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. See evaporate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
drynessnoun
-
overdrynessnoun
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redryverb
-
predryverb (used with object)
-
underdryverb (used with object)
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dryableadjective
-
overdryadjective
-
ultradryadjective
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undryadjective
-
undryableadjective
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drylyadverb
-
overdrylyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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drysimple
-
driessimple
-
have driedperfect
-
has driedperfect
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am dryingprogressive
-
are dryingprogressive
-
is dryingprogressive
-
have been dryingperfect progressive
-
has been dryingperfect progressive
Past
-
driedsimple
-
had driedperfect
-
was dryingprogressive
-
were dryingprogressive
-
had been dryingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dry
First recorded before 900; Middle English drie, Old English drȳge; akin to Dutch droog, German trocken; see drought
Explanation
Things that are dry lack moisture. A desert or a dessert can be dry. If your eyes are dry, you’ve stopped crying. It’s also a flavor that means the opposite of sweet. The Sahara Desert and crumbly chocolate cake are both dry. Dry is also a verb — when you paint your kitchen, you have to wait for the first coat to dry before you can add another. If someone says you have a dry sense of humor, they mean that you have a subtle style, keeping a straight face even when you say something outrageous.
Vocabulary lists containing dry
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.
See Examples For:
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has warned that Greece faces "extremely difficult" days ahead as high temperatures and dry conditions continue to fuel fires.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
The scorched ground, dry grass and soil caused by the lack of rain is likely to cause significant pooling and runoff, as rainfall struggles to get absorbed during brief bursts of heavy rain.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
Ice makes the surrounding material stiffer, allowing vibrations to travel two to three times faster than they do through dry soil.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026
The weather service is predicting elevated to briefly critical fire weather conditions in the interior valleys, mountains and deserts through Saturday due to hot, dry and breezy conditions, including long periods of single-digit humidity levels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Aunt J made a feast, but I just nibble on the end of my dry toast.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
High pressure causes colder air to sink in the atmosphere, where it compresses, warms up and dries out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
This air also dries out, meaning no clouds can form, so strong sunshine is able to heat the ground even further.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a new way to control how ink dries by adding ultra fine bubbles to ink droplets instead of chemical additives.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
Nonprofits are under siege as funding from government, foundations and donors dries up and policies target their missions—and as demand for services swells.
From Barron's ● May 12, 2026
She dries herself off and wrings out her sari, standing in her blouse and petticoat.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
That really divided Whigs between drys and wets.
From Slate ● Apr. 5, 2017
So who are the other Washington VIPs queuing up for blow drys, yoga, personal training and makeup application in the comfort of their open concept living rooms?
From Washington Post ● Jan. 28, 2015
And while profits from cuts, colouring and blow drys have remained static, in 2012 the salon's hair extension business has grown 60% year on year.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 28, 2012
But she nonetheless tells her very fellow drys that she can secure Nucky’s help in doing away with these neighborhood stashes.
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2010
We drys have certainly won a great victory.
From The Art of the Moving Picture by Lindsay, Vachel
While forecasts point to rain around the Mediterranean, other regions can expect “severely drier than average conditions” until September, it said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
India's monsoon is running well below average, while hotter and drier conditions are forecast from Central America and the Caribbean to parts of South America, South Asia, the Southwest Pacific, Europe and Africa.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
While El Niño brings colder and wetter conditions to the Southern U.S., it typically generates drier and warmer weather up north.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
We now deal with wildfire smoke every year, in a “season” that stretches longer and longer each year thanks to warmer and drier conditions.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
The land is definitely drier than I remember.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
Following one of the driest and hottest stretches of weather in the UK's history, the indications are that August is likely to bring more of the same.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
England and Wales both experienced the "driest July on record", the UK Met Office weather agency said Monday, based on provisional figures.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
It comes after drought was declared across seven areas of England this week, following four heatwaves and one of the driest spells this century.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
The majority of Southern California, except for the immediate coastline, will see an enhanced risk of large wildfires Friday through Sunday, when conditions will be hottest and driest, said Kristen Stewart, meteorologist with the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
As lightning flashed and thunder growled, I heard the monkeys moving above me, also trying to find the driest spots.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
France has for weeks been battling wildfires after a series of deadly heatwaves that have dried up riverbeds and vegetation, extreme weather events scientists have linked to human-made climate change.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
Last winter was mild and wet, encouraging vegetation growth, which has then dried out in successive hot spells, generating fuel for wildfires.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Tourism in the region has dried up, and investment is under pressure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
By examining ancient layers of lake sediment, researchers uncovered evidence that several lakes dried out roughly 7,500 years ago.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
I double-check Ma’s list: extra flour, extra jerky, dried apples, rice, crackers… extra coffee, cornmeal, bacon, and beans… extra kerosene, extra lard, sugar, salt, and vinegar.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
The Interior Department called it a flexible approach “to respond to changing conditions” on the drying river through 2036.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Warmer air absorbs more water, drying out vegetation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
While droughts happen naturally, scientists say that climate change is raising the risks, with higher summer temperatures drying out soils more quickly.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
France has been battered by three heatwaves since May as part of increasingly common extreme weather episodes linked to climate change, causing excess deaths, drying up rivers and fuelling wildfires.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
And sleep, such sleep...deep and sweet and sound as I had not known for many nights; it claimed me even as I sat amid the rice husks and fish scales and drying salt.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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.
