dry
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.
insufficiently glazed.
Art. hard and formal in outline, or lacking mellowness and warmth in color.
to make dry; free from moisture: to dry the dishes.
to become dry; lose moisture.
a prohibitionist.
a dry place, area, or region.
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 about dry
not dry behind the ears, immature; unsophisticated: Adult responsibilities were forced on him, although he was still not dry behind the ears.
Origin of dry
1synonym study For dry
Other words for dry
Opposites for dry
Other words from dry
- dry·a·ble, adjective
- dryly, adverb
- dryness, noun
- o·ver·dry, adjective
- o·ver·dry·ly, adverb
- o·ver·dry·ness, noun
- pre·dry, verb (used with object), pre·dried, pre·dry·ing.
- re·dry, verb, re·dried, re·dry·ing.
- ul·tra·dry, adjective
- un·der·dry, verb (used with object), un·der·dried, un·der·dry·ing.
- un·dry, adjective
- un·dry·a·ble, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use dry in a sentence
Yes, good waterproof boots will work—especially if you want to save all your toes—but keeping those appendages both dry and toasty will make you happy.
The hottest gifts to buy for the friend who’s always cold | Sandra Gutierrez G. | November 20, 2020 | Popular-ScienceA few years ago, he offered this Xtra Brut, a slightly drier version.
Food-friendly wines to pair with your Thanksgiving dishes | Dave McIntyre | November 20, 2020 | Washington PostThere are pieces of income that are totally dried up because we’ve been closed for so many months.
Before assembly, be sure to dry-fit the pieces of your door to make sure everything lines up.
Build your own door and ascend to a higher level of DIY | Courtney Starr | November 20, 2020 | Popular-ScienceDew points in the wintry 20s mean very dry air, so you may need to get the moisturizer back out.
D.C.-area forecast: Mainly clear skies plus warmer temperatures today and tomorrow | A. Camden Walker | November 20, 2020 | Washington Post
Strong fennel and wormwood hit the back of my tongue along with a dryness from the barrel and hints of citrus from the chamomile.
Those are related: More cheese would have hidden the dryness.
This evaporation of the sea water is proportional to the temperature and to the dryness of the air where it rests upon the ocean.
Outlines of the Earth's History | Nathaniel Southgate ShalerJim knew of a cabin where he promised them they could spend the night in comparative dryness and warmth.
The Adventure Girls at K Bar O | Clair BlankWhen we are speaking of celebrated places, the reader must endure with patience the dryness of such geographical descriptions.
This filtrate was evaporated to dryness under diminished pressure to remove alcohol, water, and acetic acid.
Some Constituents of the Poison Ivy Plant: (Rhus Toxicodendron) | William Anderson SymeThe remainder of the solution was evaporated to dryness, extracted with water, filtered, and again evaporated.
Some Constituents of the Poison Ivy Plant: (Rhus Toxicodendron) | William Anderson Syme
British Dictionary definitions for dry
/ (draɪ) /
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
NZ (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
(when intr, often foll by off) to make or become dry or free from moisture
(tr) to preserve (meat, vegetables, fruit, etc) by removing the moisture
British informal a Conservative politician who is considered to be a hard-liner: Compare wet (def. 10)
the dry Australian informal the dry season
US and Canadian an informal word for prohibitionist
Origin of dry
1Derived forms of dry
- dryable, adjective
- dryness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with dry
In addition to the idioms beginning with dry
- dry as dust
- dry behind the ears
- dry out
- dry run
- dry up
also see:
- cut and dried
- hang out to dry
- high and dry
- keep one's powder dry
- well's run dry
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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