Synonyms of dry

dry 1 of 3

adjective

ˈdrī 

1

as in thirsty

marked by little or no precipitation or humidity

the dry climate of the American Southwest

Synonyms & Similar Words

• thirsty
• droughty
• arid
• waterless
• sere
• desert
• desertic
• air-dry
• bone-dry
• baked
• dehydrated
• parched
• sunbaked
• rainless
• desertlike
• hyperarid
• ultradry
• xerothermic

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wet
• moist
• damp
• humid
• saturated
• soggy
• dank
• dripping
• soaked
• washed
• sodden
• soaking
• bathed
• watered
• waterlogged
• drenched
• watery
• flooded
• awash
• drowned
• submerged
• sopping
• soppy
• hydrated
• soused
• doused
• overflowed
• inundated
• deluged
• swamped

2

as in boring

causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest

a very dry topic for a lecture at a museum of natural history

Synonyms & Similar Words

• boring
• slow
• tiring
• dusty
• dull
• weary
• stupid
• old
• heavy
• wearying
• arid
• tame
• annoying
• irritating
• drab
• uninteresting
• tedious
• monotonous
• pedestrian
• colorless
• stale
• leaden
• tiresome
• stodgy
• dreary
• flat
• wearisome
• stuffy
• monochromatic
• humdrum
• numbing
• ponderous
• soggy
• sterile
• pallid
• jejune
• ho-hum
• exhausting
• barren
• draining
• gray
• mind-numbing
• blank
• jading
• drudging
• dullish
• blah
• uneventful
• prosy
• prosaic
• unexciting
• spiritless
• unimaginative
• uninspiring
• aseptic
• inanimate
• unspectacular
• unrewarding
• pedantic
• undramatic
• bothersome
• earthbound
• irksome
• ordinary
• fatiguing
• wearing
• unsensational
• suspenseless
• debilitating
• discouraging
• unnewsworthy
• common
• pleasureless
• tepid
• cumbersome
• vapid
• dispiriting
• commonplace
• enervating
• unexceptional
• demoralizing
• poky
• disheartening
• longsome
• plodding
• unsurprising
• lumbering
• palling
• enfeebling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• interesting
• involving
• engaging
• wonderful
• absorbing
• intriguing
• gripping
• riveting
• engrossing
• spectacular
• surprising
• amazing
• exciting
• wondrous
• stimulating
• sensational
• awesome
• astonishing
• entertaining
• marvelous
• fabulous
• inspiring
• amusing
• exhilarating
• stirring
• astounding
• breathtaking
• thrilling
• moving
• energizing
• attractive
• electrifying
• rousing
• charming
• touching
• poignant
• fascinating
• animating
• invigorating
• enchanting
• enlivening
• alluring
• attracting
• enthralling
• beguiling
• galvanizing
• rip-roaring
• entrancing
• bewitching
• diverting
• eye-opening
• hair-raising
• suspenseful
• provocative
• captivating
• tantalizing
• spellbinding
• mesmerizing
• arresting

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• detached
• cold
• distant
• cool
• reserved
• withdrawn
• remote
• frosty
• aloof
• silent
• offish
• timid
• professional
• clinical
• antisocial
• standoffish
• unsociable
• unbending
• hard
• shy
• asocial
• unclubbable
• buttoned-up
• standoff
• cold-eyed
• reclusive
• introverted
• recessive
• indifferent
• dispassionate
• indrawn
• unconcerned
• impersonal
• unsocial
• apathetic
• uninterested
• misanthropic
• disinterested
• taciturn
• incurious
• reticent
• uncommunicative
• diffident
• nongregarious
• cliquish
• clubbish
• cliquey

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• warm
• social
• friendly
• cordial
• sociable
• outgoing
• convivial
• companionable
• gregarious
• expansive
• extroverted
• boon
• communicative
• talkative
• garrulous
• hospitable
• gracious
• clubby
• genial
• folksy
• affable
• clubbable
• congenial
• amiable
• agreeable
• kindly
• neighborly

dry

2 of 3

verb

1

as in to scorch

to make dry

the wind quickly dried their clothes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• scorch
• drain
• desiccate
• bake
• dehydrate
• parch
• sear
• evaporate
• dehumidify
• air-dry
• shrivel
• wither
• mummify
• wizen

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wet
• wash
• water
• soak
• hydrate
• flood
• damp
• saturate
• drown
• bathe
• overflow
• moisten
• inundate
• drench
• dampen
• douse
• deluge
• waterlog
• sop
• humidify
• swamp
• dip
• souse
• submerge
• rehydrate
• dunk

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fade
• wither
• wilt
• shrivel
• mummify
• decrease
• diminish
• wane
• wizen
• decline
• lessen

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• revive
• freshen
• flourish
• thrive
• bloom
• grow
• prosper
• increase
• develop
• wax
• peak
• surge
• crest

dry

3 of 3

noun

as in prohibitionist

Related Words

• prohibitionist
• abstainer
• teetotaler
• teetotalist
• nondrinker

Dissimilar Words

• drinker
• alcoholic
• drunk
• wet
• inebriate
• drunkard
• sot
• souse
• bibber
• tippler
• boozer
• barfly
• boozehound

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dry

Adjective

An exceptional drought in 2026 has made the riverbed dry, which could complicate efforts to get the entire release into Lake Hefner as water soaks into the dry ground and evaporates into the air. — Dale Denwalt, Oklahoman, 22 Sep. 2026

The product is applied to dry lengths and ends and works diligently to tame flyaways once you’re done drying. — Valeriya Chupinina, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2026

Verb

Scrub for at least 20 seconds, including between your fingers and around your nails, and dry your hands thoroughly afterward. — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 20 Sep. 2026

Allow everything to dry for at least 48 hours prior to using the shower again. — Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 20 Sep. 2026

Phrases Containing dry

• dry nurse
• dry run
• dry up
• high and dry