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

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

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
About 22-inches shorter than her trademark tresses, hairstylist Dimitris Giannetos gave Moore a chin-length bob with a wet finish for an even more dramatic effect. —Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 28 Feb. 2026 Without a substantially wetter winter next year, though, the dam near the Utah-Arizona line could face a real prospect of halting production and raising electricity prices from metro Phoenix to the Navajo Nation and around the rural West. —Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 28 Feb. 2026
Noun
Most people opt for a frost or shimmer finish over a juicy gloss—think silky as opposed to wet—but a topcoat of clear glitter gloss can have a similar effect. —Grace McCarty, Glamour, 5 Feb. 2026 Dick’s will serve both wet-aged and dry-aged steaks on a New York-style broiler, kissing some steaks with charcoal from a charcoal grill. —Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
Focus on even moisture at the soil level, and avoid wetting the flowers and the rest of the plant, if possible. —Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 16 Feb. 2026 Night after night, performance after performance, tears would wet Duvall’s cheeks during his final monologue. —Chris Nashawaty, Vanity Fair, 16 Feb. 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
  • Choosing shorter showers, turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth, running full loads of laundry and dishes, fixing dripping faucets, adjusting irrigation schedules and watering lawns only when needed can all reduce demand on our aquifers.
    — Claire Marks, Austin American Statesman, 2 Mar. 2026
  • This dripping results in most of the water freezing at the base, with less freezing at the tip, giving it a tapered shape.
    — Ray Petelin, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026
Definition of dripping
Adjective
  • Be mindful of Liberia flight cancellations and even airport closures during the region’s rainy season of May to October (and sometimes beyond).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Mar. 2026
  • The month of February brought Tet celebrations, rainy weather and the start of spring season sports.
    — Michele Cardon, Oc Register, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of rainy
Adjective
  • How about holding the two cops who let a drunk cop go after a DWI accident instead of calling for charges to be dropped?
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2026
  • One is cynical and snarky, with a sour-to-the-point-of-curdled view of humanity, and the other has a heart full of sentiment, drunk to the point of passing out on the milk of human kindness.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
Definition of drunk
Adjective
  • Taking an inventive approach can solve a sticky problem, while empathy keeps talks human and fair.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Use yellow sticky cards to monitor for pests.
    — Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of sticky
Adjective
  • Taking new measurements, the researchers saw that as fluid gushed between cells, creating indentations in their cell membranes, bubbles mostly bulged into weaker cells.
    — Clare Watson, Quanta Magazine, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Trump suggested in the aftermath of that raid that military action in Cuba might not be necessary because the island’s economy was weak enough — particularly in the absence of oil shipments from Venezuela that stopped after Maduro was taken into custody — to soon collapse on its own.
    — Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
Definition of weak
Noun
  • Brazil's meteorology institute, Inmet, said on Thursday morning that more rain with strong winds was forecast, and pointed to a risk of power outages, falling tree branches, flooding and lightning strikes.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Feb. 2026
  • The needles lock together in a mesh that isn't likely to float away, while one good rain can wash a mountain of wood chips off a slope.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2026
Definition of rain
Verb
  • In 1998, while skiing in the backwoods of British Columbia, he was tragically swept into the icy waters of Kokanee Lake by an avalanche and drowned.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
  • With other people, these disclosures would have been like admitting to drowning kittens or robbing liquor stores.
    — Daniel Smith, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2026
Definition of drown
Adjective
  • Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats—such as olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish—can improve cholesterol levels.
    — Stephanie Anderson Witmer, Health, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Key Takeaways Air-frying and baking with extra virgin olive oil can increase healthy unsaturated fats and reduce saturated fat in foods.
    — Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 22 Feb. 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 5 Mar. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wet

Nglish: Translation of wet for Spanish Speakers

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