moisture
Americannoun
-
moistures
plural
-
condensed or diffused liquid, especially water.
moisture in the air.
-
a small quantity of liquid, especially water; enough liquid to moisten.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of moisture
1325–75; Middle English; see moist, -ure; compare Middle French moistour
Explanation
Moisture is the feeling of wetness — what you want in your cupcake but not in your diapers. Moisture is the noun related to the adjective moist, which you might use to describe damp soil, clammy air, or melt-in-your-mouth desserts. Moisture has also been known to promote mold growth and frizz otherwise tame hair, so it doesn't have many fans — other than tropical plants and the very thirsty.
Vocabulary lists containing moisture
Holes
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Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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"Brothers in Hope"
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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:
"Hurricanes carry moisture and move ocean currents and plankton," he said, noting the consequences for seafood dishes at his restaurant Huniik, where he reimagines Mayan specialties.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
Polo could pull tropical moisture into the region, depending on patterns in the upper levels of the atmosphere, Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, said Monday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
And because a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, these storms could also bring heavier rainfall.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
The fourth is an environment that includes warm ocean water, plenty of atmospheric moisture, and relatively weak winds in the middle levels of the atmosphere.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
It was so hot that the moisture was all gone from the kitchen towels they had tied around their faces, and Akira and Dodger were almost completely dry from their dip in the pool.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
“The fuel moistures would have been too high, and the fire wouldn't have carried.”
From Salon ● Jan. 15, 2025
Climate change has led to higher temperatures, increased dry and dead vegetation, low soil moistures and stronger storms.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 14, 2023
Though recent rains increased fuel moistures slightly, caution is still warranted because extreme heat and strong winds can be a recipe for rapid fire spread should ignition occur, Stewart said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2022
“Fuel moistures on the forest are very dry. This condition, combined with high temperatures, support rapid fire spread,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2021
Big-bellied apples gold or bell-round pears No maiden gathers now; The moistures drip great reeking tears From each old, crippled bough.
From Blooms of the Berry by Madison J. Cawein
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.
