dry 1 of 3

adjective

ˈdrī How to pronounce dry (audio)
Definition of drynext
1
as in thirsty
marked by little or no precipitation or humidity the dry climate of the American Southwest

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest a very dry topic for a lecture at a museum of natural history

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in detached
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others a dry temperament that suited him well in a desk job that required no interaction with the customers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dry

2 of 3

verb

1
as in to scorch
to make dry the wind quickly dried their clothes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fade
to lose liveliness, force, or freshness his creative talents were just drying on the vine in that small, provincial town

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dry

3 of 3

noun

as in prohibitionist

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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 dry
Adjective
Kuppanna at 1301 Custer Road Suite 510 was closed July 20 after the inspector found more than 30 rodent droppings in the dry storage room. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 July 2026 Hyaluronic acid and squalane deliver lasting hydration to help keep dry patches at bay, while niacinamide works to brighten and even the look of skin tone. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 30 July 2026
Verb
No soap, paper towels or mechanical hand drying graced the kitchen handwash sink. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026 There was heavy rain that night, and crews had to pump water out of the Reflecting Pool and mechanically dry the liner. — Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dry
  1. thirsty
  2. boring
  3. detached
  4. scorch
  5. fade
  6. prohibitionist
  7. arid
  8. slow
Adjective
  • The shampoo felt nourishing, not drying, and my thirsty locks guzzled the conditioner and leave-in.
    — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 31 July 2026
  • In her Tinker Bell costume, Ashley seems as thirsty for a peach as Shamea is, reveling in the opportunity to tell her side of the story but obviously sprinkling her own fairy dust of exaggeration into the narrative.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 27 July 2026
Definition of thirsty
Adjective
  • Christian flat out tells Bryan to do anything else because the gown is so boring, but Bryan could not be more disinterested in his advice.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 July 2026
  • Just a year ago, $100,000 was considered a relatively 'boring’ price for bitcoin.
    — Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of boring
Adjective
  • Kate Middleton spent most of her early life in a 4-bedroom, semi-detached cottage in Bradfield, Berkshire.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 30 July 2026
  • New homes are less likely to compete on price with existing homes in dense urban markets like New York City, where scarce land means new construction is dominated by condominium projects rather than detached homes.
    — Mike Winters, CNBC, 23 July 2026
Definition of detached
Verb
  • The massive wildfire outside the southwestern city of Bordeaux, which has scorched about 420 square kilometers (162 square miles), uncovered what is believed to be World War II-era ammunition.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • As well as fueling the fires scorching Europe’s land, the latest heatwaves have also put unprecedented pressure on the continent’s water sources – and the vital infrastructure that relies on them.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of scorch
Verb
  • Economic fundamentals, in the meantime, will fade into irrelevancy.
    — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Every successful technology eventually fades into the background while those fundamentals remain.
    — Michael Edmondson, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of fade
Noun
  • Despite chang’s antiquity, Tibetans have their share of teetotalers and prohibitionists.
    — Geoff Childs, The Conversation, 1 May 2026
  • Yet just as humans seem inherently inclined to imbibe addictive substances, so too are governments inclined to embrace this prohibitionist mentality at every opportunity.
    — The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026
Definition of prohibitionist
Adjective
  • In arid regions that support outdoor succulents, these plants create a nice ground cover.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 30 July 2026
  • Earlier measures to combat desertification across its arid northern regions included sand-fixing methods like straw, plastic barriers, and pollen-heavy shrubs.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 July 2026
Definition of arid
Adjective
  • The slow pace continued for a while, but eventually, Punk took down Rhodes with a leaping heel kick and tweaked his knee.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Long days were spent cleaning, drawing and waiting for customers during slow periods, all while mastering a craft that permanently alters another person’s body.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of slow

Phrases Containing dry

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druthers
dry
dryad
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Cite this Entry

“Dry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dry. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dry

Nglish: Translation of dry for Spanish Speakers

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