Pronunciation

/draɪ/

Definitions

• Adjective: (adj) Not moist or wet; not having or containing water or liquid. For example: “The towels were left out to dry in the sun.”

  • The opposite of wet: “After the rain stopped, the ground soon became dry.”
  • Also used to describe something that lacks humidity or moisture content: “In this climate, the air is often very dry.”
  • Figuratively, it can mean dull, uninteresting, or humorless: “His jokes fell flat; they were quite dry.”

• Verb: (v) To remove moisture from something. For example: “I need to dry my hair before leaving the house.”

  • It can also refer to the process of becoming dry: “The clothes will dry quickly in this heat.”
  • In a figurative sense, it can mean to make something less emotional or less interesting: “The harsh realities of life dried up his enthusiasm.”

Phrases

• “Dry as a bone”: Extremely dry, without any moisture.
• “Let’s dry off”: To remove moisture after getting wet.
• “Don’t cry over spilled milk; it’s no use crying over dry cups”: Meaning, don’t waste time regretting what cannot be undone.

Example Sentences

• Adjective: “The desert is so dry that plants struggle to survive.”
• Verb: “She hung the washed clothes outside to dry in the sun.”
• Figurative usage: “His delivery was so dry that even the most exciting stories sounded mundane.”

Synonyms

• Arid
• Dehydrated
• Moisture-free
• Damp-free
• Unwetted
• Desiccated (when used in a strong sense)
• Parched
• Humorless (in the figurative sense)
• Dry-eyed (emotionally unaffected)