Synonyms of wet

wet 1 of 3

adjective

ˈwet 

1

as in dripping

containing, covered with, or thoroughly penetrated by water

I left the car windows open while it rained, and the seats got all wet

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dripping
• saturated
• soaked
• washed
• bathed
• soaking
• flooded
• saturate
• soggy
• sodden
• moist
• damp
• waterlogged
• drenched
• sopping
• watered
• water-soaked
• bedraggled
• logged
• soppy
• flushed
• drowned
• watery
• submerged
• awash
• humid
• splashed
• doused
• rinsed
• hydrated
• soused
• aqueous
• irrigated
• overflowed
• dipped
• clammy
• steeped
• boggy
• swamped
• dank
• inundated
• sloppy
• dampish
• deluged
• wettish
• dunked
• squashy
• seepy
• miry
• sluiced
• laved
• semimoist

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dry
• arid
• waterless
• unwatered
• bone-dry
• waterproof
• watertight
• hyperarid
• dehydrated
• water-resistant
• water-repellent
• baked
• droughty
• thirsty
• parched
• ultradry
• sunbaked
• sere
• wrung
• freeze-dried

2

as in rainy

marked by or abounding with rain

a wet and dreary day

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rainy
• pouring
• precipitating
• stormy
• misty
• drippy
• drizzly
• drizzling
• spitting
• sprinkling
• mizzly

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dry

3

as in drunk

being under the influence of alcohol

designated a driver so the others could get wet and make it home safely at the end of the night

Synonyms & Similar Words

• drunk
• drunken
• fried
• impaired
• wasted
• blind
• plastered
• bombed
• gassed
• under the influence
• stinking
• sloshed
• lit
• loaded
• stiff
• boozy
• tipsy
• tight
• ripped
• intoxicated
• stewed
• under the weather
• inebriated
• oiled
• pickled
• inebriate
• smashed
• crocked
• besotted
• hammered
• looped
• soused
• stoned
• wiped out
• three sheets in the wind
• juiced
• high
• blasted
• potted
• blitzed
• canned
• tiddly
• sozzled
• squiffed
• lit up
• tanked
• sottish
• cockeyed
• blotto
• alcoholic
• in the bag
• pie-eyed
• rocky
• in one's cups
• beery
• maudlin
• dopey
• crapulous
• strung out
• debauched
• dissolute
• befuddled
• stupefied
• bleary-eyed
• dissipated
• dipsomaniacal
• bibulous

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dry
• straight
• sober
• temperate
• steady
• cool
• level
• abstemious
• abstinent
• teetotal
• clearheaded

4

as in sticky

appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way

things get more than a little wet during the opera's big death scene

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sticky
• sentimental
• sloppy
• fuzzy
• drippy
• gooey
• slushy
• mushy
• soppy
• soupy
• sugary
• cloying
• mawkish
• corny
• saccharine
• sappy
• maudlin
• schmaltzy
• chocolate-box
• sugarcoated
• spoony
• fruity
• lovey-dovey
• soapy
• dreamy
• moony
• nostalgic
• novelettish
• sudsy
• feel-good
• moonstruck
• watery
• melodramatic
• insipid
• tasteless
• vapid
• misty-eyed
• flat
• starry-eyed
• soft-boiled
• soap-operatic
• cutesy
• twee

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unsentimental
• unadulterated
• unvarnished
• cynical
• hardheaded
• antisentimental
• hard-edged
• hard-boiled

5

as in weak

British lacking strength of will or character

employees of the company despised their boss as a wet and ineffectual bloke

Synonyms & Similar Words

• weak
• soft
• weakened
• corrupt
• wimpy
• invertebrate
• timid
• frail
• spineless
• wimpish
• nerveless
• characterless
• milk-and-water
• meek
• effete
• weak-kneed
• wishy-washy
• flaccid
• flabby
• weakling
• limp-wristed
• ineffective
• namby-pamby
• ineffectual
• powerless
• impotent
• forceless
• pliable
• submissive
• emasculated
• unscrupulous
• unnerved
• unprincipled
• villainous
• lamblike
• craven
• dastardly
• pusillanimous
• sissy
• cowardly
• impuissant
• infirm
• irresolute
• fainthearted
• lily-livered
• vacillating
• poltroon
• nebbishy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hard
• strong
• tough
• firm
• good
• right
• moral
• upright
• righteous
• virtuous
• ethical
• unrelenting
• backboned
• principled
• determined
• resolute
• courageous
• mettlesome
• stalwart
• stouthearted

wet

2 of 3

noun

as in rain

a steady falling of water from the sky in significant quantity

winced as he walked out into the wet without any protection

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rain
• storm
• rainfall
• rainstorm
• downpour
• deluge
• cloudburst
• shower
• precipitation
• weather
• thunderstorm
• downfall
• thundershower

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• mist
• spit
• drizzle
• sprinkle
• scud
• mizzle

wet

3 of 3

verb

as in to drown

to make wet

you need to wet your hair thoroughly first

Synonyms & Similar Words

• drown
• wash
• flood
• water
• damp
• soak
• sodden
• rinse
• bathe
• wet down
• drench
• waterlog
• flush
• water-soak
• mist
• douse
• moisten
• sop
• shower
• dip
• sprinkle
• bedraggle
• submerge
• drizzle
• hydrate
• splash
• humidify
• souse
• moisturize
• dampen
• swamp
• deluge
• saturate
• steep
• hose (down)
• inundate
• overflow
• bedew
• irrigate
• impregnate
• lave
• duck
• slosh
• sluice
• dunk
• asperse
• rehydrate
• rewet
• rewash

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dry
• dehydrate
• scorch
• evaporate
• desiccate
• sear
• parch
• dewater
• wring
• freeze-dry
• dehumidify
• drip-dry

Synonym Chooser

How is the word wet distinct from other similar adjectives?

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

When is it sensible to use damp instead of wet?

The meanings of damp and wet largely overlap; 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 can dank be used instead of wet?

While the synonyms dank and wet are close in meaning, dank implies a more distinctly disagreeable or unwholesome dampness.

a prisoner in a cold, dank cell

Where would humid be a reasonable alternative to wet?

In some situations, the words humid and wet are roughly equivalent. However, humid applies to the presence of much water vapor in the air.

a hot, humid climate

In what contexts can moist take the place of wet?

The words moist and wet are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, moist applies to what is slightly damp or not felt as dry.

treat the injury with moist heat

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wet

Adjective

In other words, a Super El Niño could improve the odds of a wetter season without guaranteeing above-average snowfall or widespread drought relief. — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Follow the product’s instructions for how long the surface needs to remain wet, as recommended by the EPA. — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026

Noun

Because the chemicals are already common in textile processing, Tehrani-Bagha said the researchers believe the process could ultimately be adapted to existing industrial wet-processing equipment. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026

Chicken thighs are brined overnight for maximum juiciness, wet-battered and fried golden and crisp before being seasoned with the restaurant’s signature blend of kosher salt, gochugaru (Korean chile flakes) and roasted, crushed sesame seeds. — Warren Rojas, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026

Verb

Pyne argues that Mediterranean Europe, much like California, is naturally predisposed to burn because of an annual cycle of wetting and drying. — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026

Make sure water penetrates to the deep roots in addition to wetting surface roots. — Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026

Phrases Containing wet

• all wet
• wet behind the ears
• wet blanket
• wet down