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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

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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

Help guests moisturize after hand-washing with a solid lotion/moisturizer, such as one from Kate McLeod.

From Washington Post Nov. 16, 2022

He put dots of oil gel on their faces to moisturize the skin, then recalled aloud how a man had once called him to arrange his own funeral.

From New York Times Nov. 1, 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

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

And cosmetic companies, which were shifting away from animal- or petroleum-based ingredients, were captivated by its miracle properties: It foams in toothpaste and shaving gel, moisturizes soaps and lathers in shampoo.

From Seattle Times Nov. 17, 2020

And the “shine oil-in-stick” somehow moisturizes your lips, while leaving a desirable stain as it dries off.

From Slate Nov. 29, 2019

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

“Tones, moisturizes, helps protect skin and supports collagen production,” promises the box, which also shows a woman’s before-and-after photos, with “proven visible results” listed beneath.

From New York Times May 6, 2013

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

Apply Surf Soap’s Rehab Balm, a restorative deep conditioner, before or after a surf to keep hair moisturized or use it as a follow-up to the All-in-One bar to avoid unruly, tangly hair and breakage.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 2, 2022

“Chiamaka should see life as it is, ejima m,” Kainene said, as they moisturized their faces.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 27, 2026

Clouds of soap bubbles and cascading buckets of water follow, along with a coffee scrub and deeply moisturizing mask before a short sauna session to let everything absorb.

From Salon Mar. 7, 2026

All of the 90-minute facials at JY Beauty include the usual facial steps, such as cleansing, extraction and moisturizing.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 17, 2024

To create the artificial lymph node, the scientists used hyaluronic acid, a moisturizing substance commonly used in cosmetics and lotions and found naturally in the body's skin and joints.

From Science Daily Jun. 6, 2024

And since the smell part was worked out, it was time for her to explain the importance of moisturizing.

From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds

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