dehydrate

verb

de·​hy·​drate (ˌ)dē-ˈhī-ˌdrāt 

dehydrated; dehydrating; dehydrates

transitive verb

1

a

: to remove bound water or hydrogen and oxygen from (a chemical compound) in the proportion in which they form water

b

: to remove water from (something, such as a food)

2

: to deprive of vitality or savor

intransitive verb

: to lose water or body fluids

dehydrator

(ˌ)dē-ˈhī-ˌdrā-tər 

noun

Did you know?

Dehydrating food is a good way to preserve it; raisins, which are dehydrated grapes, are a good example. Dehydration through industrial processes makes it possible to keep food even longer and store it in a smaller space. Freeze-drying produces food that only needs rehydration—that is, the addition of water—to restore its original consistency. Runners, cyclists, and hikers fearful of dehydration seem to be constantly hydrating themselves nowadays, sometimes even using a shoulder pack with a tube going straight into the mouth. Dehydrate can also be used for making something "dry" or "lifeless;" thus, a dull teacher can dehydrate American history, and an unimaginative staging can dehydrate a great Shakespeare play.

Synonyms of dehydrate

• undermine
• weaken
• drain
• desiccate
• exhaust
• petrify
• wear

Examples of dehydrate in a Sentence

Salt dehydrates the meat and keeps it from spoiling.

Athletes drink lots of water so they don't dehydrate.

Exercising in this heat will dehydrate you.

Recent Examples on the Web

If your footprints remain in the grass instead of the blades springing back to place, your lawn is dehydrated. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026

White advises applying cuticle oil when your nails are most dehydrated—like after washing your hands or removing nail polish. —Dominic Cadogan, Glamour, 2 Mar. 2026

In extreme cases, frozen soil combined with strong winds can dehydrate plants and kill them entirely. —Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 26 Feb. 2026

Typically, though, NVOH is used after being dehydrated. —New Atlas, 25 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for dehydrate

• dihydrate
• trihydrate
• monohydrate

Kids Definition

dehydrate

verb

de·​hy·​drate (ˈ)dē-ˈhī-ˌdrāt 

1

: to remove water from (as foods)

2

: to lose water or body fluids

dehydration

ˌdē-ˌhī-ˈdrā-shən

noun

Medical Definition

dehydrate

verb

de·​hy·​drate (ˈ)dē-ˈhī-ˌdrāt 

dehydrated; dehydrating

transitive verb

1

: to remove bound water or hydrogen and oxygen from (a chemical compound) in the proportion in which they form water

2

: to remove water from (as foods)

intransitive verb

: to lose water or body fluids

dehydrator

-ˌdrāt-ər 

noun