Synonyms of dank

dank

adjective

ˈdaŋk 

as in damp

slightly or moderately wet

vegetables tended to go bad quickly in the dank cellar

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonym Chooser

How is the word dank distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of dank are damp, humid, moist, and wet. While all these words mean "covered or more or less soaked with liquid," dank implies a more distinctly disagreeable or unwholesome dampness.

a prisoner in a cold, dank cell

In what contexts can damp take the place of dank?

In some situations, the words damp and dank are roughly equivalent. However, 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 is humid a more appropriate choice than dank?

The words humid and dank are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, humid applies to the presence of much water vapor in the air.

a hot, humid climate

Where would moist be a reasonable alternative to dank?

The words moist and dank can be used in similar contexts, but moist applies to what is slightly damp or not felt as dry.

treat the injury with moist heat

When can wet be used instead of dank?

The meanings of wet and dank largely overlap; however, 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 dank

Whereas many suburbanites would be content with a beer or watching a game, Austin instead leads Craig down into the sewers of their suburb of Clovis, winding through dank tunnels, only to arrive inside city hall. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 20 May 2025

For one, the hair dye solution was so slippery and hard to control, women were using rags instead of towels and dank basement sinks to dye their hair in order to avoid making a mess in their own bathrooms. —Esther K. Choy, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024

Here, matching three swords to defeat a rogue computer in a dank basement required enduring 88 grueling rounds. —The New York Times, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025

Inmates packed within the dank cells would hang their few belongings in plastic bags and beg their guards for food. —Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Jan. 2025