Synonyms of damp

damp 1 of 3

adjective

1

as in humid

containing or characterized by an uncomfortable amount of moisture

the damp air made 85 degrees feel like 105

Synonyms & Similar Words

• humid
• sticky
• moist
• muggy
• wet
• tropical
• sultry
• oppressive
• tropic
• subtropical
• heavy
• steamy
• sweltering
• torrid
• clammy
• soggy
• saturated
• sodden
• semitropical
• dank
• summery
• dripping
• soaked
• stifling
• suffocating
• stuffy
• waterlogged
• soaking
• summerlike
• drenched
• smothering
• sopping
• washed
• subhumid
• bathed
• close
• watery
• watered
• awash
• soppy
• doused
• soused

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dry
• fresh
• cool
• bracing
• refreshing
• crisp
• dusty
• arid
• droughty
• dehydrated
• burned
• scorched
• baked
• thirsty
• semiarid
• parched
• desert
• invigorating
• sunbaked
• waterless
• sere
• seared

2

as in moist

slightly or moderately wet

marks can usually be removed with a damp cloth

Synonyms & Similar Words

• moist
• humid
• dank
• dampish
• dripping
• soaked
• wettish
• soaking
• steeped
• clammy
• misty
• dewy
• muggy
• washed
• soggy
• sodden
• saturated
• sticky
• waterlogged
• sweltering
• tropical
• drenched
• sopping
• bathed
• watered
• torrid
• summery
• semimoist
• sultry
• water-soaked
• awash
• saturate
• soppy
• doused
• soused

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dry
• arid
• waterless
• dusty
• droughty
• scorched
• dehydrated
• burned
• baked
• parched
• sunbaked
• bone-dry
• desert
• sere
• seared
• waterproof
• watertight
• water-resistant
• hyperarid
• water-repellent
• ultradry

damp

2 of 3

noun

ˈdamp 

as in moisture

the amount of water suspended in the air in tiny droplets

we bought a dehumidifier for the basement when the damp down there began causing mold to grow

Synonyms & Similar Words

• moisture
• humidity
• dampness
• moistness
• wetness
• stuffiness
• mugginess
• stickiness
• clamminess
• sultriness
• dankness
• sogginess
• soddenness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dryness
• dehydration
• aridity
• dehumidification

damp

3 of 3

verb

1

as in to drain

to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality

refused to let the setbacks damp his drive for success

Synonyms & Similar Words

• drain
• undermine
• exhaust
• weaken
• dampen
• wear
• desiccate
• deaden
• petrify
• dehydrate
• devitalize
• enervate
• castrate
• discourage
• burn out
• fatigue
• sap
• wear out
• enfeeble
• lobotomize
• debilitate
• geld
• tucker (out)
• daunt
• dishearten
• dispirit
• demoralize
• do in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• stimulate
• stir
• enliven
• invigorate
• energize
• quicken
• brace
• vitalize
• arouse
• vivify
• rouse
• charge
• fire
• ferment
• lift
• galvanize
• electrify
• trigger
• spark
• provoke
• excite
• kindle
• inflame
• whip (up)
• foment
• incite
• cheer
• fortify
• inspire
• boost
• instigate
• revive
• renew
• refresh
• buoy
• revitalize
• hearten
• abet
• reactivate
• rejuvenate
• regenerate
• rekindle
• embolden
• recharge
• resurrect
• reawaken
• resuscitate
• reanimate
• reenergize
• reawake

2

as in to wet

to make or become slightly or moderately wet

damp the shirt slightly before ironing it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wet
• moisten
• wash
• rinse
• dampen
• flush
• bedew
• water
• steep
• soak
• saturate
• lave
• bathe
• impregnate
• drench
• humidify
• irrigate
• douse
• refresh
• dip
• dunk
• immerse
• sluice
• souse
• remoisten
• immerge
• rehydrate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dry
• scorch
• dehydrate
• sear
• desiccate
• dehumidify
• parch

3

as in to dull

to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling

nothing seemed to damp the unwelcome attentions of her suitor

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dull
• reduce
• dampen
• blunt
• deaden
• numb
• subside
• weaken
• diminish
• benumb
• decrease
• subdue
• tone (down)
• cauterize
• ease
• alleviate
• muffle
• mute
• let up (on)
• lighten
• moderate
• lessen
• recede
• wane
• lower
• enfeeble
• debilitate
• dwindle
• taper (off)
• abate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• enhance
• sharpen
• strengthen
• intensify
• augment
• deepen
• consolidate
• amplify
• stimulate
• step up
• boost
• heighten
• magnify
• whet
• arouse
• beef (up)
• redouble
• animate

Synonym Chooser

How is the word damp distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of damp are dank, humid, moist, and wet. While all these words mean "covered or more or less soaked with liquid," damp implies a slight or moderate absorption and often connotes an unpleasant degree of moisture.

clothes will mildew if stored in a damp place

When would dank be a good substitute for damp?

In some situations, the words dank and damp are roughly equivalent. However, dank implies a more distinctly disagreeable or unwholesome dampness.

a prisoner in a cold, dank cell

When could humid be used to replace damp?

While the synonyms humid and damp are close in meaning, humid applies to the presence of much water vapor in the air.

a hot, humid climate

When can moist be used instead of damp?

The meanings of moist and damp largely overlap; however, moist applies to what is slightly damp or not felt as dry.

treat the injury with moist heat

When is wet a more appropriate choice than damp?

The synonyms wet and damp are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of damp

Adjective

But the Quince towels dried my body in a single swipe and didn’t leave behind a still-damp feeling. —Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025

The Katsura, Uji, and Kizu rivers meet nearby, creating the ideal damp climate for whisky maturation. —Liz Provencher, Travel + Leisure, 21 Oct. 2025

Noun

Invigorated by the damp, fungi living quietly in the soil sprout fruiting bodies. —Rachel Bujalski Veronique Greenwood, New York Times, 11 June 2024

The melodramatic piano music has put you on edge, as have the visible damp of the Savannah air and the oak trees dripping with moss. —E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2023

Verb

Use a cotton ball damped with rubbing alcohol and rub over the area. —Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 15 Oct. 2025

Wet or damp bird seed can quickly mold, which can cause illnesses in birds. —Joan Morris, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025