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
The pattern could train a stream of potent tropical moisture on Southern California, drenching the region, weather experts have said.
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
They had left the light from the trees behind, and the darkness here seemed to be not just the absence of light but a positive presence, something exuded from the vegetation and the moisture.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
“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
“The cooler the temperatures and the more precipitation there is, the higher the fuel moistures will get,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 13, 2021
For moistures in these twain Are near akin.
From On the Nature of Things by William Ellery Leonard
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.
