wet 1 of 3

Definition of wetnext
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2
as in rainy
marked by or abounding with rain a wet and dreary day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
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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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

wet

3 of 3

verb

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

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 wet
Adjective
Eversource warned that restoration efforts could extend into multiple days with the slow moving storm expected to bring a combination of heavy wet snow and intense winds. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 23 Feb. 2026 Be very careful with this heavy, wet snow. Bill Kelly, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
Noun
Duff wears a soaking wet and therefore completely sheer butter yellow dress in the video. Emma Banks, InStyle, 9 Jan. 2026 Golden Steer Steakhouse The Golden Steer Steakhouse has been dishing out quality chops (wet-aged for 35 days) and seafood staples since 1958. Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 26 Dec. 2025
Verb
Night after night, performance after performance, tears would wet Duvall’s cheeks during his final monologue. Chris Nashawaty, Vanity Fair, 16 Feb. 2026 Apply enough water to wet the soil 12 inches deep. Kelly Werthmann, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wet
Adjective
  • In another, two women on a couch, exhausted, sit next to a third person, whose waist has been abolished with a slash of dripping gray paint.
    Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
  • And around nearly every corner, there’s food worth traveling for, from bubbling deep-dish pizza to dripping Italian beef sandwiches.
    Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Hurricane season lasts through November, but travelers who don't mind a higher risk of rainy skies will quickly find that Jamaica can be a beautiful destination year-round.
    Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2026
  • The cacophonous construction in the film opening scene is of a ramshackle company hut for Junior’s whole family to live in — nothing more than a one-room shed, it’s cramped and unequal to the coming rainy season.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Of course, most of them have been too drunk to notice.
    Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
  • His wife is crying in the corner, collapsed on the floor, drunk and bleeding from her nose and mouth.
    Mary Gaitskill, New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • If, in the following days, increasing moisture and a sticky feel to the atmosphere are accompanied by fog or overcast skies, this can signal the approach of a cold front with a cooler air mass behind it.
    Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 24 Feb. 2026
  • In 2025, though, gold broke through several barriers, setting new records along the way as investors reacted to sticky inflation, uneven economic data and growing skepticism about how long restrictive monetary policy could stay in place.
    Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The past four years of conflict have exposed more than one faulty assumption, not least the previously widespread belief even among Kyiv’s allies that Ukraine would be too weak, too disorganized, to resist a full-scale invasion.
    Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
  • Continue reading … PARTY RECKONING — Cortez Masto admits Democrats have been 'weak on immigration,' chides Biden.
    , FOXNews.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • As the rain lessened, the wind increased, making holes 12 to 16 particularly challenging.
    Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
  • The weather service said in its forecast temperatures are expected to rise Sunday before rain returns to the Sacramento Valley on Monday.
    Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Feel wrapped in comfort without drowning in bulk with the Softest Sweats Boat-neck Pullover, a loungewear staple at 25 percent off.
    Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2026
  • The fermentation attracts the flies and adding dish soap helps to trap and drown them.
    Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • With a saturated market of cuts, collars, and cotton weights, the search requires a curious eye.
    Minty Mellon, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2026
  • Hues like blush and dusty rose pair well with sandy neutrals, soft grays, and even more saturated colors like teal and fuchsia.
    Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 6 Feb. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Wet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wet. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.

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