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Synonyms

moisturize

American  
[mois-chuh-rahyz] / ˈmɔɪs tʃəˌraɪz /
especially British, moisturise

verb (used with object)

  • moisturizes,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • moisturized,
    past participle,  past
  • moisturizing
    present participle
  1. to add or restore moisture to (something).

    to moisturize one's skin with lotion; to moisturize air.


verb (used without object)

  • moisturizes,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • moisturized,
    past participle,  past
  • moisturizing
    present participle
  1. to make something moist; counteract a dry condition with moisture.

    a skin cream that moisturizes while you sleep.

moisturize British  
/ ˈmɔɪstʃəˌraɪz /

verb

  1. (tr) to add or restore moisture to (the air, the skin, etc)

"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 Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of moisturize

First recorded in 1940–45; moisture + -ize

Explanation

To moisturize is to add moisture to something or make it less dry. The purpose of hand lotion is to moisturize your dry hands. Moisturize is most often used to talk about beauty products, like lotions and moisturizers. If your skin's dry, oil or cream will bring some moisture and softness back to it. And, if your hair is brittle, conditioner will moisturize it and make it smoother. A diet with plenty of healthful fat can help moisturize your hair and skin too. Moisturize adds -ize, a verb-forming suffix, to moisture, from the Old French moistour, "dampness."

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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:

After 40 minutes of the technician repeatedly dragging a warm and gooey wand across my chest, I had 95 images—and enough gel on my skin to moisturize a lizard for a year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026

His own routine is pretty basic: cleanse, tone and moisturize along with using the line’s other products including facial scrub, antiperspirant and body washes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 5, 2026

So I drink a lot of water and I moisturize.

From New York Times ● Jun. 24, 2023

Apply either product to pimples twice a day and moisturize the surrounding skin, not the pimple itself.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 6, 2022

Be sure to moisturize with an ultra- hydrating serum like The Corporation’s new Skin So Right B14 Complex for Total Cell Renewal, made with essential vitamins, minerals, and concentrated yak’s bladder.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

I always receive compliments on the scent, and I love how deeply it moisturizes.

From Slate ● Nov. 25, 2020

And cosmetic companies were captivated by its miracle properties: It foams in toothpaste, moisturizes soaps and lathers in shampoo.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 18, 2020

It bubbles in shampoo, foams in Colgate toothpaste, moisturizes Dove soap and helps keep lipstick from melting.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 23, 2020

She moisturizes her feet with her homemade lotion and exfoliates once a week with Dr. Bronner’s soap and a foot file.

From New York Times ● Mar. 14, 2016

Sebaceous glands coat the skin with a waxy, protective substance called vernix caseosa that protects and moisturizes the skin and may provide lubrication during childbirth.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

With my skin moisturized, and my qi unblocked, my skin glowed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2024

And the one thing I’m missing in life is a lotion that makes my skin feel super moisturized and attracts Wolf spiders.

From New York Times ● Dec. 29, 2023

Still, there’s a growing market around giving canines moisturized paws and a cleansed glow.

From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2023

Better known as “RM,” he is the frontman of the supergroup BTS, the face of millennial, moisturized South Korean cool.

From Washington Times ● Mar. 30, 2023

His thin hands belied a firm grip, as if steel hid beneath the moisturized skin.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

There’s Cardi B using Raising Cane’s moisturizing sauce in her skin care routine.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

It uses “ultrasonic vibration technology,” Xie said, to help the skin absorb the applied moisturizing cream and combat eye puffiness.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2026

The skincare brand’s R&D team developed a moisturizing stick designed specifically for the neck.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026

The moisturizing effects of seaweed are also prized by the beauty industry as today's consumers place greater value on natural – and environmentally friendly – skincare ingredients.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2024

I use some moisturizing cream to gather it all up, brush it, and pin it into a neat bun.

From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi

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