drying

American  

[drahy-ing] / ˈdraɪ ɪŋ /

adjective

1. causing dryness.

   a drying breeze.

2. designed to become or capable of becoming dry and hard on exposure to air.

---

drying British  

/ ˈdraɪɪŋ /

noun

1. the action or process of making or becoming dry

2. Also called (not now in technical usage): seasoning.  the processing of timber until it has a moisture content suitable for the purposes for which it is to be used

---

adjective

1. causing dryness

   a drying wind

Other Word Forms

• nondrying adjective
• undrying adjective

Etymology

Origin of drying

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; dry, -ing ²

Example Sentences

As borrowing costs started moving higher, liquidity started drying up fast — pushing funds to cut their leverage.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

Valverde, drying his tears after losing the final of that competition, heard what they had to say.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

The war has also hammered global markets and sent crude oil prices soaring by about a fifth in the week since fighting erupted, all but drying up shipping in the critical Strait of Hormuz.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

The team identified the ancient drying event by detecting a noticeable gap in sediment deposits from some of the island's oldest lakes.

From Science Daily • Mar. 2, 2026

I stay up while the house is quiet, drying clothes by the fire and sewing a rip in Helena’s skirt where I didn’t sew it very well in the first place.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron