DRY: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for DRY?

Need another word that means the same as “dry”? Find 88 synonyms and 30 related words for “dry” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Dry” are: juiceless, ironic, ironical, wry, teetotal, parched, dried, withered, shrivelled, wilted, wizened, arid, scorched, baked, burned, dried out, dried up, torrid, hot, sizzling, burning, waterless, empty, thirsty, dehydrated, strenuous, arduous, heavy, tiring, exhausting, unbuttered, plain, bare, simple, basic, fundamental, stark, naked, bald, cold, hard, straightforward, dull, uninteresting, boring, unexciting, tedious, tiresome, wearisome, dreary, monotonous, dry as dust, unemotional, indifferent, undemonstrative, impassive, cool, clinical, passionless, emotionless, subtle, low-key, laconic, sly, sharp, crisp, piquant, not sweet, tart, bitter, dry out, make dry, dry up, parch, scorch, sear, bake, dry off, towel, rub, wipe, wipe tears from, dab, dehydrate, desiccate, remove the moisture from, prohibitionist, monetarist

Dry as a Noun

Definitions of "Dry" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “dry” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• A tract of waterless country.
• The process or an instance of drying.
• A dry or covered place.
• The dry season.
• A person in favour of the prohibition of alcohol.
• A Conservative politician (especially in the 1980s) in favour of strict monetarist policies.
• A reformer who opposes the use of intoxicating beverages.

Synonyms of "Dry" as a noun (2 Words)

monetarist	An advocate of the theory that economic fluctuations are caused by increases or decreases in the supply of money.
prohibitionist	A reformer who opposes the use of intoxicating beverages.

Usage Examples of "Dry" as a noun

• The grass was yellowing and the dry had started.
• The forty-mile dry.
• Evangelical dries had seen to it that the nearest bottle of whiskey was miles away.

Dry as a Verb

Definitions of "Dry" as a verb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “dry” as a verb can have the following definitions:

• Cause to become dry.
• Forget one's lines.
• Wipe tears from (the eyes.
• Become dry or drier.
• Become dry.
• Preserve by allowing or encouraging evaporation of moisture from.
• Remove the moisture from and make dry.

Synonyms of "Dry" as a verb (16 Words)

bake	Heat by a natural force. The soil in the desert is baked dry by the fierce heat of the sun.
dab	Apply (usually a liquid) to a surface. She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.
dehydrate	Lose water or moisture. We usually either freeze or dehydrate the berries and use them as we need to.
desiccate	Remove water from. Years of drought have desiccated the soil.
dry off	Become dry or drier.
dry out	Remove the moisture from and make dry.
dry up	Become dry or drier.
make dry	Make or cause to be or to become.
parch	Cause to wither or parch from exposure to heat. The sun parched the earth.
remove the moisture from	Shift the position or location of, as for business, legal, educational, or military purposes.
rub	Scrape or rub as if to relieve itching. Rub oil into her skin.
scorch	Become scorched or singed under intense heat or dry conditions. The meat had scorched.
sear	(of pain) be experienced as a sudden, burning sensation. Sear the chicken livers in a pan for a few minutes on each side.
towel	Wipe with a towel. She towelled her hair dry.
wipe	Pass a swipe card over an electronic reader. Things have happened to wipe the smile off Kate s face.
wipe tears from	Rub with a circular motion.

Usage Examples of "Dry" as a verb

• Dry clothes.
• A colleague of mine once dried in the middle of a scene.
• The laundry dries in the sun.
• She dried her eyes and blew her nose.
• I use several methods to dry the flowers and foliage I use in my arrangements.
• Allow 24 hours for the paint to dry.
• Dry hair.
• The natural sugars in the fruit will be concentrated when it is dried.
• They had washed and dried their hair.

Dry as an Adjective

Definitions of "Dry" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “dry” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• (of noodles) not served in a soup, but in a sauce or with dry ingredients.
• Having a low residual sugar content because of decomposition of sugar during fermentation.
• For use without liquid.
• Thirsty or thirst-making.
• (of information, writing, etc.) dully factual.
• Not producing milk.
• With little or no rainfall or humidity.
• Without grease or other moisturizer or lubricator.
• (of liquor) having a low residual sugar content because of decomposition of sugar during fermentation.
• Unemotional, undemonstrative, or impassive.
• Lacking warmth or emotional involvement.
• Having a large proportion of strong liquor.
• (of paint, ink, etc.) having lost all wetness or moisture over a period of time.
• Lacking interest or stimulation; dull and lifeless.
• (of an alcoholic drink) not sweet.
• (of food) eaten without a spread or sauce or other garnish.
• (of bread or toast) without butter or other spreads.
• Prohibiting the sale or consumption of alcoholic drink.
• Free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet.
• Not shedding tears.
• Without a mucous or watery discharge.
• (of a joke or sense of humour) subtle and expressed in a matter-of-fact way.
• Practicing complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages.
• Humorously sarcastic or mocking.
• Relating to political ‘dries’; rigidly monetarist.
• Eaten without a spread or sauce or other garnish.
• Having no adornment or coloration.
• (of a cow or other domestic animal) no longer producing milk.
• Unproductive especially of the expected results.
• Opposed to or prohibiting the production and sale of alcoholic beverages.
• Used of solid substances in contrast with liquid ones.
• Lacking interest or stimulation; dull and lifeless- John Mason Brown.
• (of a river, lake, or stream) empty of water as a result of lack of rainfall.
• Lacking moisture or volatile components.
• Free from moisture or liquid; not wet or moist.
• (of a source) not yielding a supply of water or oil.
• (of a person) no longer addicted to or drinking alcohol.

Synonyms of "Dry" as an adjective (70 Words)

arduous	Taxing to the utmost; testing powers of endurance. Your willingness after these six arduous days to remain here.
arid	Lacking in interest, excitement, or meaning. A technically perfect but arid performance of the sonata.
baked	Intoxicated by drink or drugs, especially cannabis. Baked goods.
bald	Lacking hair on all or most of the scalp. The bald trunks with their empty branches.
bare	Just barely adequate or within a lower limit. A bare livelihood.
basic	Common to or required by everyone; primary and ineradicable or inalienable. Basic training for raw recruits.
bitter	Feeling or showing anger, hurt, or resentment because of bad experiences or a sense of unjust treatment. She knew from bitter experience how treacherous such feelings could be.
boring	So lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness. I ve got a boring job in an office.
burned	Ruined by overcooking. A burned over site in the forest.
burning	Very hot or bright. The burning midday sun.
clinical	Scientifically detached; unemotional. Clinical medicine.
cold	Having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e g ice or refrigeration. The concert left me cold.
cool	Psychologically cool and unenthusiastic unfriendly or unresponsive or showing dislike. Relations were cool and polite.
crisp	Brief and to the point; effectively cut short. Crisp bacon.
dehydrated	Suffering from excessive loss of water from the body. Fever resulted from becoming dehydrated.
dreary	Causing dejection. A series of dreary dinner parties.
dried	Not still wet. Dried beef.
dried out	Preserved by removing natural moisture.
dried up	Preserved by removing natural moisture.
dry as dust	Lacking moisture or volatile components.
dull	So lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness. Fell back into one of her dull moods.
emotionless	Unmoved by feeling-Margaret Deland. Her voice was flat and emotionless.
empty	Having no value or purpose. Full of empty seats.
exhausting	Having a debilitating effect. An exhausting job in the hot sun.
fundamental	Far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something. An example that was fundamental to the argument.
hard	Unfortunate or hard to bear. Hard dry rolls left over from the day before.
heavy	Large and powerful especially designed for heavy loads or rough work. A heavy and bulky load.
hot	(of a person) sexually attractive. She felt hot and her throat was parched.
impassive	Deliberately impassive in manner. Her impassive remoteness.
indifferent	Neither too great nor too little. The universe is neither hostile nor friendly it is simply indifferent.
ironic	Humorously sarcastic or mocking. His mouth curved into an ironic smile.
ironical	Humorously sarcastic or mocking. An ironical smile.
juiceless	Lacking interest or stimulation; dull and lifeless- John Mason Brown. Dull and juiceless as only book knowledge can be when it is unrelated to life.
laconic	Brief and to the point; effectively cut short. His laconic reply suggested a lack of interest in the topic.
low-key	Restrained in style or quality.
monotonous	Dull, tedious, and repetitious; lacking in variety and interest. The statistics that he quotes with monotonous regularity.
not sweet	Having a high residual sugar content.
parched	Dried out with heat. Parched corn was a staple of the Indian diet.
passionless	Not passionate. The voice is passionless monotone.
piquant	Having an agreeably pungent taste. A piquant tartare sauce.
plain	Sheer; simple (used for emphasis. There were indrawn breaths at such plain speaking.
scorched	(of vegetation or a place) dried out by the heat of the sun. Sherman s scorched earth policy.
sharp	Of a key having a sharp or sharps in the signature. They were greeted by a young man in a sharp suit.
shrivelled	Wrinkled and shrunken, especially as a result of loss of moisture or old age. A handful of shrivelled leaves.
simple	Plain, basic, or uncomplicated in form, nature, or design; without much decoration or ornamentation. A simple white blouse.
sizzling	Characterized by intense emotion or interest or excitement. That was the start of a sizzling affair.
sly	Marked by skill in deception. A sly manipulative woman.
stark	Unpleasantly or sharply clear. The ridge formed a stark silhouette against the sky.
straightforward	Without concealment or deception; honest. He is not being as straightforward as it appears.
strenuous	Taxing to the utmost; testing powers of endurance. Strenuous exercise.
subtle	Able to make fine distinctions. Subtle lighting.
tedious	Using or containing too many words. Tedious days on the train.
teetotal	Choosing or characterized by abstinence from alcohol. No thank you I happen to be teetotal.
thirsty	(usually followed by `for’) extremely desirous. Thirsty fields under a rainless sky.
tiresome	So lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness. Weeding is a tiresome but essential job.
tiring	Producing exhaustion. It had been a tiring day.
torrid	(especially in financial contexts) characterized by intense activity; hard to contain or stop. He d been given a pretty torrid time by the nation s voters.
unbuttered	Not spread or coated with butter. A meal of weak tea and unbuttered toast.
undemonstrative	Not given to open expression of emotion. The English are an undemonstrative lot.
unemotional	Not having or showing strong feelings. A flat unemotional voice.
unexciting	Not exciting. An unexciting novel.
uninteresting	Arousing no interest or attention or curiosity or excitement. A very uninteresting account of her trip.
waterless	Lacking sufficient water or rainfall. Miles of waterless country to cross.
wearisome	Causing one to feel tired or bored. They insisted on his presence at wearisome musical soir es.
wilted	Not firm. The afternoon heat left her feeling wilted.
withered	(of a plant) dry and shrivelled. A girl with a withered arm.
wizened	Lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness-W.F.Starkie. A wizened weather beaten old man.
wry	Bent to one side. With a wry Scottish wit.

Usage Examples of "Dry" as an adjective

• A mind dry of new ideas.
• I heard much talk about how sobriety was more than staying straight or dry.
• Rattled off the facts in a dry mechanical manner.
• Wait until the paint is dry.
• The country is strictly dry, in accordance with Islamic law.
• Cream conditioners for dry hair.
• A dry, medium-bodied red wine.
• The conversion of dry latrines into the flushing type.
• Working in the hot sun is making me dry.
• Only dry bread and water.
• A dry greeting.
• He wiped the table dry with his shirt.
• A dry critique.
• With dry eyes.
• The cows went dry in the wintertime.
• The rye has been strip-grazed by dry cows.
• The river is always dry at this time of year.
• A dry well.
• Dry clothes.
• Dry splintery boards.
• A dry cow.
• A dry climate.
• A dry run.
• The West Coast has had two dry winters in a row.
• The dry facts of the matter.
• Dry meat.
• Customers can choose to have their noodles in the soup or opt for a dry version.
• The jacket kept me warm and dry.
• The paint is dry.
• He delighted his friends with a dry, covert sense of humour.
• A very dry martini is almost straight gin.
• Dry toast.
• A dry lecture filled with trivial details.
• Dry land.
• A dry white burgundy.
• A dry reading of the lines.
• A dry Bordeaux.
• Dry facts.
• A dry river bed.
• Dry humor.
• He's been dry for ten years.
• Dry weight.
• Dry sobs.
• A dry book.
• It transformed him from a dry administrator into the people's hero.

Associations of "Dry" (30 Words)

anhydrous	Without water; especially without water of crystallization.
arid	(of land or a climate) having little or no rain; too dry or barren to support vegetation. An arid climate.
aridity	A deficiency of moisture (especially when resulting from a permanent absence of rainfall.
blacken	Make or become black. Paras in full combat gear with blackened faces.
char	Burn to charcoal. She trimmed the char from the wicks of the oil lamps.
climatic	Of or relating to a climate. Climatic changes.
dehydrate	Cause (a person or their body) to lose a large amount of water. In the desert you get dehydrated very quickly.
desert	Desert a cause a country or an army often in order to join the opposing cause country or army. His life in the regiment had been such a hell that he decided to desert.
desiccant	A hygroscopic substance used as a drying agent. Natural desiccants cause fleas to dehydrate and die.
desiccate	Lacking vitality or spirit; lifeless-C.J.Rolo. A prissy and emotionless creature settles into a mold of desiccated snobbery.
desiccated	Preserved by removing natural moisture. A prissy and emotionless creature settles into a mold of desiccated snobbery.
desiccation	The removal of moisture from something. Stems were stored in plastic bags to prevent desiccation.
dried	Preserved by removing natural moisture. A face marked with dried tears.
drought	A prolonged shortage. He ended a five game goal drought.
dryness	The condition of not containing or being covered by a liquid (especially water. Her manner assumed a dispassion and dryness very unlike her usual tone.
evaporate	Lose or cause to lose liquid by vaporization leaving a more concentrated residue. This gets the oil hot enough to evaporate any moisture.
evaporation	The process of becoming a vapor. The police s attempt to dictate public policy led to a sudden evaporation of support.
famish	Be hungry; go without food. Many famished in the countryside during the drought.
humidity	The state or quality of being humid. The temperature is seventy seven the humidity in the low thirties.
moisturize	Make (something, especially the skin) less dry. Revitalize your face moisturize your skin.
parch	Cause to wither or parch from exposure to heat. His crops parched during the last two summers.
parched	Dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight. The parched earth.
precipitation	The quantity of water falling to earth at a specific place within a specified period of time. The storm brought several inches of precipitation.
scorch	Become scorched or singed under intense heat or dry conditions. A sports car was scorching along the expressway.
sear	Cause to wither. Sear the chicken livers in a pan for a few minutes on each side.
semiarid	Somewhat arid. A semiarid region with little annual rainfall.
shrivel	Lose momentum, will, or desire. My courage shrivelled when I saw the task before me.
singe	Burn the bristles or down off (the carcass of a pig or fowl) to prepare it for cooking. The fire had singed his eyebrows.
thirst	Feel the need to drink. Tens of thousands died of thirst and starvation.
withered	(used especially of vegetation) having lost all moisture. A lanky scarecrow of a man with withered face and lantern jaws.