desiccated 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of desiccatednext
as in dehydrated

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

desiccated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of desiccate
1
as in drained
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality that historian's dryasdust prose desiccates what is actually an exciting period in European history

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dried
to make dry add a cup of desiccated coconut to the mix

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of desiccated
Adjective
Mahdi and Khadija had been struck by drought, and their bed was dry and desiccated, waterless down to its depths. — Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026 Mary left a potentially fruitful academic career to raise three children with desiccated classics professor Howard (Corey Stoll). — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
Try to get a look below the surface—if anything is broken, damaged, rotten, or desiccated, a simple trim could help. — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 11 Feb. 2026 Sereno proposes that the creatures’ carcasses were first desiccated in a drought before suddenly being engulfed by sediment—likely brought on by a flood. — Andrea Tamayo, Scientific American, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for desiccated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desiccated
  1. dehydrated
  2. drained
  3. dried
  4. shriveled
  5. undermined
  6. withered
  7. exhausted
  8. dry
Adjective
  • The experience of eating it is even more shocking … the electric crunch of passionfruit seeds giving way to exploding citrus vesicles, glimmering like wayward teardrop gems … and … was that a dehydrated banana?
    — Cooking Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • The masks are made from hydrogel, which, Dixneuf says, is particularly well-suited for dehydrated, puffy, and tired eyes.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of dehydrated
Verb
  • There’s a collective draw toward the general aesthetic vision on offer here — cold, computerized, humanity-drained — and the frictionless insularity of the characters’ lives.
    — Nick H. Penniman, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026
  • After Sunday’s loss to Arizona he was scheduled to have his left knee drained and likely will receive an injection.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of drained
Verb
  • After the concrete basin was emptied, cleaned and dried, the Reflecting Pool was painted in sections.
    — Maura Judkis, Washington Post, 16 July 2026
  • The fragrant leaves are dried and used as culinary bay leaves.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2026
Definition of dried
Adjective
  • Mango seeds should be firm and white, not shriveled or brown.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 7 July 2026
  • Pests Yellowing or shriveled leaves and stunted growth can also be signs of pests.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 June 2026
Definition of shriveled
Verb
  • And for a team whose backup goalie severely undermined them last year, there may not be a worse option than Samuel Ersson in that spot.
    — Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 16 July 2026
  • South Africa closed its two major refineries in 2022 after new fuel regulations undermined their commercial logic.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of undermined
Adjective
  • The savory along the river is teeming with bees, and small white moths light among the ghosts of withered bergamot.
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • These misshapen and withered figurines—a teddy bear with a candle and a turkey in pointed shoes—looked over at the photos from low plinths in one corner of the gallery.
    — Theo Belci, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Definition of withered
Verb
  • In their initial contract with the district, employees who exhausted their regular sick leave were given a five-month differential pay period where they were paid at the rate of a substitute.
    — Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
  • About half of Florida's 242 death row inmates have exhausted their appeals and could see their death warrant issued at any time.
    — CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Definition of exhausted
Adjective
  • Occasionally our wells run a little dry, and that’s our cue to go fill them up again with all kinds of beautiful things.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
  • The combination of extreme heat and dry conditions in Ontario and northern Minnesota led to significant spread of wildfires on July 13.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 16 July 2026
Definition of dry

Browse Nearby Words

desiccate
desiccated
desiccates
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Desiccated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desiccated. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on desiccated

Nglish: Translation of desiccated for Spanish Speakers

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of stalwart

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All