adjective
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slightly damp or wet
-
saturated with or suggestive of moisture
Related Words
See damp.
Other Word Forms
- moistful adjective
- moistless adjective
- moistly adverb
- moistness noun
- overmoist adjective
- semimoist adjective
Etymology
Origin of moist
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English moiste, from Middle French; connected with Latin mūcidus “musty, moldy”; mucid
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.
Glycerin, a thick liquid that keeps toothpaste smooth and moist, can be a petroleum-based compound.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026
You’ll encounter a kind of linguistic confetti: cakey, fudgy, moist, dense, rich, gooey, chewy.
From Salon • Mar. 5, 2026
Colonic mucin keeps stool moist, allows it to pass more easily, and shields the intestinal lining from bacteria.
From Science Daily • Feb. 19, 2026
On one hand an Atlantic low pressure system will repeatedly attempt to move in from the west, bringing relatively mild, moist air and unsettled conditions.
From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026
The dirt and grass beneath my feet are moist with dew, and there are even beads of water on the side of the tent.
From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender
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.
