adjective
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slightly damp or wet
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saturated with or suggestive of moisture
Synonym Usage
See damp.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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moistnessnoun
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moistfuladjective
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moistlessadjective
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overmoistadjective
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semimoistadjective
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moistlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of moist
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English moiste, from Middle French; connected with Latin mūcidus “musty, moldy”; see mucid
Explanation
Moist things feel damp when you touch them — they're just a little bit wet. You might want to bring a blanket to sit on for a picnic, especially if it rained yesterday and the grass is still moist. Your houseplants are happiest when their soil is moist, and cake is most delicious if it's a little moist, not dry and crumbly. You can also describe your friend's eyes full of tears as moist, or the air on a densely foggy morning as moist. For some reason, the word moist frequently shows up on lists of "least favorite words," which makes more sense when you know its Latin root, muscidus — "moldy" or "slimy."
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.
The oil-based recipe yielded an airy yet moist crumb that was not overwhelmingly sweet—something true of all of Ms. de Ferrier’s cakes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
This moist air results in much higher humidity and adds significantly to the heat stress.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
Fire officials typically rely on the snowpack to keep vegetation green and moist into summer.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026
Brining chicken in pickle juice — whether for fried chicken, grilled chicken or air-fried tenders — keeps it unbelievably moist while adding a subtle tang that’s difficult to identify outright.
From Salon • May 28, 2026
The air hung moist and heavy over the park.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
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.
