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.
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characterized by absence, deficiency, or failure of natural or ordinary moisture.
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not under, in, or on water.
It was good to be on dry land.
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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.
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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.
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(of cooked food) lacking enough moisture or juice to be satisfying or succulent.
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(of bread and bakery products) stale.
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of or relating to nonliquid substances or commodities.
dry measure; dry provisions.
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(of wines) not sweet.
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(of a cocktail)
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made with dry vermouth.
a dry Manhattan.
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made with relatively little dry vermouth.
a dry martini.
-
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characterized by or favoring prohibition of the manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors for use in beverages.
a dry state.
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(of British biscuits) not sweet.
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plain; bald; unadorned.
dry facts.
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dull; uninteresting.
a dry subject.
- Antonyms:
- interesting
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expressed in a straight-faced, matter-of-fact way.
dry humor.
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indifferent; cold; unemotional.
a dry answer.
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unproductive.
The greatest of artists have dry years.
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(of lumber) fully seasoned.
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Building Trades.
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(of masonry construction) built without fresh mortar or cement.
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(of a wall, ceiling, etc., in an interior) finished without the use of fresh plaster.
-
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Ceramics.
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insufficiently glazed.
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Art. hard and formal in outline, or lacking mellowness and warmth in color.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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a prohibitionist.
-
a dry place, area, or region.
verb phrase
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dry out
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to make or become completely dry.
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to undergo or cause to undergo detoxification from consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol.
-
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dry up
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to make or become completely dry.
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to cease to exist; evaporate.
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Informal. to stop talking.
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(in acting) to forget one's lines or part.
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idioms
adjective
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lacking moisture; not damp or wet
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having little or no rainfall
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not in or under water
dry land
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having the water drained away or evaporated
a dry river
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not providing milk
a dry cow
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(of the eyes) free from tears
-
-
informal in need of a drink; thirsty
-
causing thirst
dry work
-
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eaten without butter, jam, etc
dry toast
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(of a wine, cider, etc) not sweet
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pathol not accompanied by or producing a mucous or watery discharge
a dry cough
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consisting of solid as opposed to liquid substances or commodities
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without adornment; plain
dry facts
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lacking interest or stimulation
a dry book
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lacking warmth or emotion; cold
a dry greeting
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(of wit or humour) shrewd and keen in an impersonal, sarcastic, or laconic way
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opposed to or prohibiting the sale of alcoholic liquor for human consumption
a dry area
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(of a ewe) without a lamb after the mating season
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electronics (of a soldered electrical joint) imperfect because the solder has not adhered to the metal, thus reducing conductance
verb
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to make or become dry or free from moisture
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(tr) to preserve (meat, vegetables, fruit, etc) by removing the moisture
noun
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informal a Conservative politician who is considered to be a hard-liner Compare wet
-
informal the dry season
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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
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drynessnoun
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overdrynessnoun
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redryverb
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predryverb (used with object)
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underdryverb (used with object)
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dryableadjective
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overdryadjective
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ultradryadjective
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undryadjective
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undryableadjective
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drylyadverb
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overdrylyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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drysimple
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driessimple
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have driedperfect
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has driedperfect
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am dryingprogressive
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are dryingprogressive
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is dryingprogressive
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have been dryingperfect progressive
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has been dryingperfect progressive
Past
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driedsimple
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had driedperfect
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was dryingprogressive
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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:
Most are in northern Ontario and Quebec, where it has been hot and dry, as well as the Northwest Territories, which is experiencing a drought and received less than 40% of normal precipitation in June.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Canada and Minnesota are ablaze in the scorching, dry heat.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Hidden Valley saw a 7% bump in monthly sales of its own travel-friendly dry seasoning, dressing and recipe mix.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
But while the Scots drank Boston dry and have won the heart of the city and its people, experts say the long-term economic benefits are minimal.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
Uncle Manfred’s clothes were a little on the small side for Peter, we discovered, and the trousers hung loose around his waist, but they were dry, and that was all that mattered.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
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
“It flows when the conditions are right, and it dries up when they are not.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2026
The toilet also features a rotating heating element that evaporates urine and dries other waste.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
The writing disappears as it dries but can be made visible again by gently heating the note.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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
As the river of that name that runs away from itself when it rains and drys up when it is clear, is so uncertain, the name Allegheny does not appeal to the masses.
From Watch Yourself Go By by Warden, Ben W.
This year soils were drier than average for the time of year across central and southern England towards the end of June.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
They added: "This incident – alongside wildfires we are seeing across the UK this week – serves as a stark reminder of the risks that periods of drier, hotter weather can pose."
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Conversely, El Niño typically brings drier conditions to the Pacific Northwest, as well as Central America, northern South America, the Caribbean, Australia, Indonesia, and parts of southern Asia, experts said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
El Ninos typically have knock-on effects globally, including drier conditions and drought in Australia, along with wetter winters in East Africa and the southern United States.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
“Nah. Giants don’t live in this part of the country. It’s too humid. They prefer drier, warm climates.”
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Laura Dern, who played Dr. Ellie Sattler opposite Neill’s Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park,” wrote, Neill “showed me the depths of loyalty, protectiveness and love always with the driest of wit.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
“Why do we need a nine gigawatt data center in one of the driest states in the nation that’s in a severe drought,” Caroline Gleich, an environmentalist and professional skier, asked.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
Which doesn’t keep him from being the driest wag in the cul-de-sac.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
In 2025, the Met Office announced Gloucestershire had become the driest place in the West of England, with the county experiencing the lowest average rainfall in the region over the past 30 years.
From BBC ● May 9, 2026
“Yes. It’s my job to know,” the woman answers in the driest voice I’ve ever heard.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
And, more notably, the verdant terrain of Birkdale had dried out as much as any player could recall at an Open Championship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Winter and spring rains spurred abundant vegetation that later dried out in successive heat waves, leaving ample fuel for wildfires, officials said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
“That creates its own hazard of, potentially, lightning without the rain that could put out any fire starts,” he said, adding that a warming trend has dried plants and soils.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
The weekly, sometimes daily, diet of Reform news conferences at Westminster had dried up.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
The dried liquid turns brown as it heats up, becoming clearly visible.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Because the ultra fine bubbles vanish after drying, the researchers believe their method could provide a cleaner, more precise way to produce next generation microdevices without the drawbacks of conventional ink additives.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
Within the United States, El Nino events are typically "drought-busting" over some regions including California but drying in others.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
Supplies of smaller memory processors, like solid-state drives, are drying up on the market, fueling a crunch that’s hitting smartphones and laptops of all brands.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
Next week’s expected heat wave brings an elevated risk of fire, the Weather Service noted in an X post, “with drying fuels & tall fire plume potential over the valleys and mountains.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026
The sun was scorching, the fields were baking, the pond was drying up, and foul odors were floating all throughout the dairy.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
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.
