dry 1 of 3

adjective

ˈdrī How to pronounce dry (audio)
Definition of drynext
1
as in thirsty
marked by little or no precipitation or humidity the dry climate of the American Southwest

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest a very dry topic for a lecture at a museum of natural history

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in detached
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others a dry temperament that suited him well in a desk job that required no interaction with the customers

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dry

2 of 3

verb

1
as in to scorch
to make dry the wind quickly dried their clothes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fade
to lose liveliness, force, or freshness his creative talents were just drying on the vine in that small, provincial town

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dry

3 of 3

noun

as in prohibitionist

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dry
Adjective
Water deeply and consistently to keep dahlias hydrated, especially during hot and dry weather. — The Spruce, 13 Aug. 2026 England has just recorded its driest July since records began in 1836. — Will Barker, TheWeek, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
That is, heavy winter rains and snowfalls that encourage abundant spring growth, only to be dried to tinder by the now-successive heatwaves baking southern Europe and the American Southwest. — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026 Document the damage with photos and videos before cleanup, and dry the space completely within 72 hours to prevent mold. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dry
  1. thirsty
  2. boring
  3. detached
  4. scorch
  5. fade
  6. prohibitionist
  7. arid
  8. slow
Adjective
  • The water district has been paying residents to rip out their thirsty grass and replace it with landscaping or trees, banned most new commercial fountains and water features, and limited the amount of water golf courses may use.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The mouse is a little bit hungry, a little bit thirsty, and watching his friends take this milkshake.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of thirsty
Adjective
  • Now the seven most boring, starting with the most tolerable (comments edited for grammar and clarity).
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026
  • It’s been a boring week for Makyah, who’s in third grade at Banneker Elementary.
    — Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of boring
Adjective
  • Homeowners report far more trust than renters, and people in detached houses report more than people in apartments.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026
  • She’s gone for unexpected pairings and silhouettes, including a blazer with satin short shorts, voluminous detached sleeves, and a chainmail-like armor made breezy through fringe.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of detached
Verb
  • Pyroclastic flows – fast-moving clouds of scorching gas, ash, and rock – could devastate territory near the caldera.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The fire began Sunday morning in the Los Padres National Forest southeast of the neighborhood of Loma Vista and quickly scorched 400 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of scorch
Verb
  • Starring Zhou Xun, Wang Xiao and Tian Zhuangzhuang, the film revolves around a middle-aged former TV host whose memory starts to slowly fade, forcing her to confront the fractures within her family and the choices that shaped her life.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
  • But workers who are rusting out still report to their shifts and perform, although with a fading sense of purpose.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of fade
Noun
  • Despite chang’s antiquity, Tibetans have their share of teetotalers and prohibitionists.
    — Geoff Childs, The Conversation, 1 May 2026
  • Yet just as humans seem inherently inclined to imbibe addictive substances, so too are governments inclined to embrace this prohibitionist mentality at every opportunity.
    — The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026
Definition of prohibitionist
Adjective
  • This year, Europe has been sweltering under an exceptionally hot and arid summer, with tinderbox conditions setting off unprecedented fires that have forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate homes and vacation spots.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Furthermore, developers routinely ignore local water shortages to build water-intensive cooling systems in arid regions.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of arid
Adjective
  • Researchers used the device to process time-series data, including signals that contained both rapid and slow changes.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 8 Aug. 2026
  • However, there is another, slower and more insidious evacuation taking place, and that is the steady migration from rural areas all around the world to burgeoning cities, which now host more than half the world’s population.
    — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of slow

Phrases Containing dry

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druthers
dry
dryad
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Cite this Entry

“Dry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dry. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of dry for Spanish Speakers

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