wet

[ wet ]

See synonyms for: wet wetted wetter wettest on Thesaurus.com

adjective,wet·ter, wet·test.

moistened, covered, or soaked with water or some other liquid: wet hands.
in a liquid form or state: wet paint.

characterized by the presence or use of water or other liquid.
moistened or dampened with rain; rainy: Wet streets make driving hazardous.
allowing or favoring the sale of alcoholic beverages: a wet town.
characterized by frequent rain, mist, etc.: the wet season.
laden with a comparatively high percent of moisture or vapor, especially water vapor: There was a wet breeze from the west.
Informal.
- intoxicated.
- marked by drinking: a wet night.
using water or done under or in water, as certain chemical, mining, and manufacturing processes.

noun

something that is or makes wet, as water or other liquid; moisture: The wet from the earth had made the basement unlivable.
damp weather; rain: Stay out of the wet as much as possible.

a person in favor of allowing the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages.
Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. wetback.

verb (used with object),wet or wet·ted, wet·ting.

to make (something) wet, as by moistening or soaking (sometimes followed by through or down): Wet your hands before soaping them.
to urinate on or in: The dog had wet the carpet.

verb (used without object),wet or wet·ted, wet·ting.

to become wet (sometimes followed by through or down): Dampness may cause plastered walls to wet. My jacket has wet through.
(of animals and children) to urinate.

Idioms about wet

all wet, Informal. completely mistaken; in error: He insisted that our assumptions were all wet.
wet behind the ears, immature; naive; green: She was too wet behind the ears to bear such responsibilities.

wet one's whistle. whistle (def. 15).
wet out, to treat (fabric) with a wetting agent to increase its absorbency.

Origin of wet

First recorded before 900; Middle English wett, past participle of weten,Old English wǣtan “to wet”; replacing Middle English weet,Old English wǣt, cognate with Old Frisian wēt,Old Norse vātr; akin to water

synonym study For wet

14. Wet, drench, saturate, soak imply moistening something. To wet is to moisten in any manner with water or other liquid: to wet or dampen a cloth. Drench suggests wetting completely as by a downpour: A heavy rain drenched the fields. Saturate implies wetting to the limit of absorption: to saturate a sponge. To soak is to keep in a liquid for a time: to soak beans before baking.

Other words for wet

1	dampened, drenched
4	misty, drizzling
7	humid
10	dampness, dankness, humidity, wetness
11	drizzle

See synonyms for wet on Thesaurus.com

Opposites for wet

dry

See antonyms for wet on Thesaurus.com

Other words from wet

wetly, adverb
wetness, noun
wetter, noun
wettish, adjective
non·wet·ted, adjective
re·wet, verb re·wet or re·wet·ted, re·wet·ting.
un·wet, adjective
un·wet·ted, adjective

Words that may be confused with wet

wet , whet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wet in a sentence

Down clusters lose their ability to loft, and therefore provide warmth, if they get wet.
How to Layer for Outdoor Dining This Fall and Winter | Wes Siler | October 14, 2020 | Outside Online
In wetter regions, warming temperatures are causing more water to evaporate, leading to more clouds.
Nights are warming faster than days. Here’s what that means for the planet. | Ula Chrobak | October 9, 2020 | Popular-Science
This wet bulb 35 temperature—the combination of heat and humidity together that’s fatal to humans if they’re not in air conditioning—is already striking a few times a year around the world.
Kim Stanley Robinson Holds Out Hope - Issue 90: Something Green | Liz Greene | October 7, 2020 | Nautilus
As the muscles cycle through wet, dry, wet, dry, their motion turns an electromagnetic generator, as long as there is water in the reservoir.
Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Environmentalism - Issue 90: Something Green | Anastasia Bendebury & Michael Shilo DeLay | October 7, 2020 | Nautilus
Their UltraDry membrane also keeps your feet from getting wet.
Clothing and accessories that make great gifts | PopSci Commerce Team | October 6, 2020 | Popular-Science

Shooting as we did above our knees in water, the rain did not make any appreciable difference in our great wetness.
Three in Norway | James Arthur Lees
He pressed a button on the bulb in his hand; Bart gasped, feeling cold wetness on his head.
The Colors of Space | Marion Zimmer Bradley
The sensation of wetness is composed of that of cold and easy movement over surface.
Criminal Psychology | Hans Gross
This chap stopped and passed a few commonplace remarks about the wetness of the trench, etc., and then passed on.
Into the Jaws of Death | Jack O'Brien
She felt a lump in her throat, a smile on her lips, and a wetness in her eyes.
The Salamander | Owen Johnson

British Dictionary definitions for wet

wet

/ (wɛt) /

adjectivewetter or wettest

moistened, covered, saturated, etc, with water or some other liquid
not yet dry or solid: wet varnish

rainy, foggy, misty, or humid: wet weather
employing a liquid, usually water: a wet method of chemical analysis
mainly US and Canadian characterized by or permitting the free sale of alcoholic beverages: a wet state
British informal feeble or foolish
wet behind the ears informal immature or inexperienced; naive

noun

wetness or moisture
damp or rainy weather

British informal a Conservative politician who is considered not to be a hard-liner: Compare dry (def. 21)
British informal a feeble or foolish person
mainly US and Canadian a person who advocates free sale of alcoholic beverages
the wet Australian (in northern and central Australia) the rainy season

verbwets, wetting, wet or wetted

to make or become wet
to urinate on (something)

(tr) dialect to prepare (tea) by boiling or infusing
wet one's whistle informal to take an alcoholic drink

Origin of wet

Old English wǣt; related to Old Frisian wēt, Old Norse vātr, Old Slavonic vedro bucket

Derived forms of wet

wetly, adverb
wetness, noun
wettability, noun
wettable, adjective
wetter, noun
wettish, adjective

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 Idioms and Phrases with wet

wet

In addition to the idioms beginning with wet

wet behind the ears
wet blanket
wet one's whistle

also see:

all wet
get one's feet wet
like (wet as) a drowned rat
mad as a hornet (wet hen)

Browse