wet 1 of 3

adjective

ˈwet How to pronounce wet (audio)
Definition of wetnext
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

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

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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

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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

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5
as in weak
British lacking strength of will or character employees of the company despised their boss as a wet and ineffectual bloke

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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

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wet

3 of 3

verb

as in to drown
to make wet you need to wet your hair thoroughly first

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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
The spa The spa has six treatment rooms and a small wet area with a sauna and steam room, but the real draw is the large pool on the terrace flanked by daybeds. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 May 2026 Use a mister or spray bottle to keep the soil moist but not wet. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 4 May 2026
Noun
That includes multiple versions of the viral Airwrap curler, Corrale straightener, and Airstrait wet-to-dry hair straightener. —Victoria Song, The Verge, 21 Apr. 2026 Volunteers would meet every wet, rainy evening as soon as spring starts, fan out along the road by the forest and collect frogs from the roadside, then carry them safely across to the marshes. —ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
To use a melamine sponge to get rid of stubborn stains, simply wet the sponge lightly and get scrubbing. —Aliyah Rodriguez, The Spruce, 8 Apr. 2026 Then hose it down with a garden hose to fully wet the rug. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wet
  1. dripping
  2. rainy
  3. drunk
  4. sticky
  5. weak
  6. rain
  7. drown
  8. saturated
Adjective
  • First, in your home, be sure to repair toilets or sinks that keep running, dripping, or leaking.
    — Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
  • It’s called ‘Spiral’ and it’s set in 1980s Ireland and dripping in folklore, repression and the strangeness of the Irish countryside.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of dripping
Adjective
  • These storms may represent the last of SoCal’s rainy season, which typically ends in April.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Expect to see surgeonfish, blue tang, moorish idols, plus whale shark and manta rays in the May-September rainy season.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
Definition of rainy
Adjective
  • Durango police fired Ball three days later for lying about drinking that night and for having his weapon on him while drunk, according the internal affairs records.
    — Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
  • On the other, falling in line behind a power-drunk bully to whom rules don’t matter.
    — Robert Lloyd, Boston Herald, 7 May 2026
Definition of drunk
Adjective
  • The worry looming over the economy Earlier this month, Dimon had also warned in his shareholder letter that the war in Iran risks oil and commodity price shocks that could keep inflation sticky and push interest rates higher than the market now expects.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Apollo chief economist Torsten Slok has warned the combination of tariffs, sticky inflation, and slowing growth can create a stagflation-like setup, one that would be hostile to both markets and consumers.
    — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Definition of sticky
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, the rest of the NBA is widely expected to be more competitive next season — from the bottom tier, where anti-tanking regulations and a weaker draft class should curb teams’ intentional losing, to the upper echelons, where Oklahoma City and San Antonio stand tall.
    — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
  • Conditions change quickly, signals conflict with each other, and weak assumptions tend to get exposed without much delay.
    — Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Definition of weak
Noun
  • As plants use rainwater to grow, their leaves pick up the rain’s characteristic ratio of hydrogen isotopes—atoms with the same number of protons and different numbers of neutrons.
    — Hannah Richter, Scientific American, 7 May 2026
  • While the immediate flood threat has diminished, rain is expected to persist along the Mid-Atlantic coast.
    — Francie Ebert, NBC news, 7 May 2026
Definition of rain
Verb
  • His growing sense of isolation reverses when a stranger saves him from drowning.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
  • Angela Onduto, 47, pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in the 2009 drowning death of her own daughter, posthumously named Matea Esperanza by the police agency that investigated her.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 9 May 2026
Definition of drown
Adjective
  • Dark Prints and Colors Porches have long defaulted to light palettes and natural finishes, but Eric Ross of Eric Ross Interiors is fielding more requests for saturated colors and bold prints—the kind of palette that usually stays indoors.
    — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 6 May 2026
  • Excessive screen time in the evening has been linked with lower sleep quality, while diets heavy in sugars and saturated fats can also make falling asleep more difficult and the experience less restorative.
    — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 4 May 2026
Definition of saturated

Phrases Containing wet

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westerly
wet
wet behind the ears
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Cite this Entry

“Wet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wet. Accessed 11 May. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of wet for Spanish Speakers

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