Synonyms of desiccate

desiccate

verb

ˈde-si-ˌkāt 

1

as in to undermine

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

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

2

as in to dry

to make dry

add a cup of desiccated coconut to the mix

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dry
• scorch
• dehydrate
• parch
• bake
• drain
• evaporate
• sear
• dehumidify
• shrivel
• mummify
• wither
• air-dry
• wizen

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wet
• wash
• water
• hydrate
• saturate
• soak
• drown
• bathe
• flood
• moisten
• inundate
• damp
• drench
• overflow
• dampen
• douse
• waterlog
• humidify
• deluge
• sop
• submerge
• swamp
• rehydrate
• souse
• dip
• dunk

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of desiccate

Dried or desiccated coconut flakes can be replaced with fresh coconut meat, or omit. — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026

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

Indoor conditions tend to be dry during the winter, so placing pots on top of saucers with pea gravel that is kept moist on a regular basis increases needed humidity and prevents leaves from desiccating. — Special To The Denver Post, Denver Post, 12 Nov. 2025

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

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