wet

1 of 3

adjective

wetter; wettest
1
a
: consisting of, containing, covered with, or soaked with liquid (such as water)
b
of natural gas : containing appreciable quantities of readily condensable hydrocarbons
2
: rainy
wet weather
3
: still moist enough to smudge or smear
wet paint
4
a
: drunk sense 1a
a wet driver
b
: having or advocating a policy permitting the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages
a wet county
a wet candidate
5
: preserved in liquid
6
: employing or done by means of or in the presence of water or other liquid
wet extraction of copper
7
: overly sentimental
8
British
a
: lacking strength of character : weak, spineless
b
: belonging to the moderate or liberal wing of the Conservative party
wetly adverb
wetness noun

wet

2 of 3

noun

1
: water
also : moisture, wetness
2
: rainy weather : rain
3
: an advocate of a policy of permitting the sale of intoxicating liquors
4
British : one who is wet

wet

3 of 3

verb

wet or wetted; wetting

transitive verb

1
: to make wet
2
: to urinate in or on
wet his pants

intransitive verb

1
: to become wet
2
Phrases
all wet
: completely wrong : in error
wet behind the ears wet one's whistle
: to take a drink especially of liquor
Choose the Right Synonym for wet

wet, damp, dank, moist, humid mean covered or more or less soaked with liquid.

wet usually implies saturation but may suggest a covering of a surface with water or something (such as paint) not yet dry.

slipped on the wet pavement

damp implies a slight or moderate absorption and often connotes an unpleasant degree of moisture.

clothes will mildew if stored in a damp place

dank implies a more distinctly disagreeable or unwholesome dampness.

a prisoner in a cold, dank cell

moist applies to what is slightly damp or not felt as dry.

treat the injury with moist heat

humid applies to the presence of much water vapor in the air.

a hot, humid climate

Examples of wet in a Sentence

Adjective a pile of wet clothes Be careful not to slip on the wet floor. My hair is still wet. My shoes got wet when I stepped in the puddle. The grass was wet with dew. Don't touch the paint. It's still wet. Noun We stayed out in the wet all afternoon. winced as he walked out into the wet without any protection Verb I wet a sponge under the faucet. Avoid wetting the leaves when you water the plant. The morning dew had wet his shoes. The little boy accidentally wet his pants. I laughed so hard I almost wet myself.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
But eagle-eyed members of Bachelor Nation surely clocked one significant detail in the photo: The driveway is wet. Breanne L. Heldman, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024 Last winter was very wet across California, with flooding and the biggest Sierra snowpack in 40 years. Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 It’s been so wet that Southern California’s Lake Elsinore is low-key overflowing, Terry Castleman reports. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Soil temperatures need to be between 50-60 degrees, and the earth can’t be too wet or too dry. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Mar. 2024 The weekend's cold, wet weather comes on the heels of several record-setting hot, sunny days in southeast Michigan. Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 10 Mar. 2024 The end of winter doesn’t mean we’re done with wet weather, according to early spring forecasts by the Farmers’ Almanac. Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 Because on screen male nudity was not permitted (taking into account the BBC watershed and US broadcasts) – the idea of the ‘wet shirt’ was born. Lianne Kolirin, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 Symptoms often flare during stress, when temperatures rise, or if your hands stay wet for too long.9 All forms of eczema can cause severe symptoms. Amanda Gardner, Health, 4 Mar. 2024
Noun
The painter, who shares a studio in Brooklyn’s Kensington neighborhood with his husband, the photographer Ian Lewandowski, strives to complete the majority of each work in one sitting, using a wet on wet process that results in a lush, loose aesthetic full of rich jewel tones. Coco Romack, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 But doing my yard work with the hat wet was a blessing. Hillary Maglin, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2023 The spa also offers a state-of-the-art wet therapy room, a dry sauna and a Chromotherapy Steam Room, a rejuvenating Halotherapy Salt Room, a whirlpool, a spa-specific outdoor pool, a fabulous brow and lash bar and a tranquil lounge space. Gabi De La Rosa, Chron, 14 May 2023 Dripping wet, Staats grabbed some tools and climbed atop SAM’s pressure controller. Jessica Camille Aguirre, Harper's Magazine, 11 Jan. 2022 The full wet also features a softer compound than the dry tires. Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 2 Mar. 2023 For the actual hair, hairstylist Edward Lampley is creating a spectrum of wet-to-dry looks. Vogue, 12 Feb. 2023 But the heavy rains seemed to break for much of Southern California by noon, even offering a glimpse of sunshine after a wet and at times dangerous morning. Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2023 The process of getting the washcloth wet is entertaining enough, but the actual outcome is a bizarro sight to see. Breanna Draxler, Discover Magazine, 20 Apr. 2013
Verb
Also, be sure to wet the inside of the mold with a little water to prevent the rice from clinging to it. Hetal Vasavada, Bon Appétit, 18 Feb. 2024 This composter withstood rain, which didn’t get into the bin to wet the compost, as well as sunlight and temperatures in the 80s and 90s. Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Feb. 2024 After one child wet himself, the family lay for hours in a pool of urine. Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2023 The photographer took photos of Lasha and then Cosby asked her to wet her hair and put on a robe, the suit says. Gina Martinez, CBS News, 1 Feb. 2024 When the robot vacuum encounters carpets and rugs, the mopping pad gets lifted to avoid wetting your carpets. Chuong Nguyen, Ars Technica, 23 Nov. 2023 Rock Hard Rod wets his pants in public and insults their boss (William H. Macy). Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2024 Spray your gardenias according to label directions with horticultural oil, making sure to wet both the tops and undersides of the leaves, as well as the stems. Steve Bender, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2024 Some kids are regressing to wetting their beds or are missing normal developmental markers. Siobhán O'Grady, Heidi Levine and Serhii Korolchuk, Anchorage Daily News, 23 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, partly from past participle of weten to wet & partly from Old English wǣt wet; akin to Old Norse vātr wet, Old English wæter water

Verb

Middle English weten, from Old English wǣtan, from wǣt, adjective

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wet was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near wet

Cite this Entry

“Wet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wet. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wet

1 of 3 adjective
wetter; wettest
1
: containing, covered with, or soaked with liquid (as water)
2
: rainy
wet weather
3
: not yet dry
wet paint
wetly adverb
wetness noun

wet

2 of 3 noun
1
2
3
: rainy weather : rain

wet

3 of 3 verb
wet or wetted; wetting
1
: to make or become wet
2
: to urinate in or on
wet his pants

Medical Definition

wet

adjective
: marked by the presence or abundance of fluid (as secretions or effusions)
the wet form of age-related macular degeneration

More from Merriam-Webster on wet

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!