dryadjective
uk/draɪ/us/draɪ/drier, driestdry adjective (NOT WET)
A2 used to describe something that has no water or other liquid in, on, or around it:
used to describe weather or periods of time when no rain falls:
If a river or other area of water runs dry, the water gradually disappears from it:
C1 Dry hair or skin does not have enough of the natural oils that make it soft and smooth:
UK Dry bread is plain, without butter, jam, etc.:
More examples
- Cracks had appeared in the dry ground.
- The weather forecast said it would be fine and dry today.
- You mix all the dry ingredients together before you add the milk.
- We collected dry twigs to start the fire.
- This moisturizing cream is excellent for dry, flaky skin.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Dry weather, arid conditions & dryness
- arid
- aridity
- bone
- bone dry idiom
- dehydrate
- desertification
- desiccation
- dried
- drought
- dry (sth) out
- dry up
- dust devil
- frazzled
- parch
- parched
- scorched
- semi-arid
- subarid
- sun-baked
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
dry adjective (BORING)
C2 disapproving If a book, talk, subject, etc. is dry, it is not interesting.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Tedious and uninspiring
- anonymous
- antiseptic
- banal
- be (as) dull as ditchwater idiom
- bland
- boring
- colourless
- drab
- earthbound
- flat-footed
- middle-aged
- mind-numbing
- monochrome
- monotonous
- mouldy
- stolid
- tedious
- threadbare
- tired
- tiresome
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dry adjective (NO ALCOHOL)
without alcoholic drinks:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Drunkenness & sobriety
- a drop too much (to drink) idiom
- alcoholic
- battered
- be as high as a kite idiom
- beer goggles
- binge drinking
- blasted
- bombed
- inebriate
- inebriated
- influence
- intoxicate
- intoxicated
- muzzy
- sloshed
- sober (sb) up
- sobriety
- sot
- soused
- whacked
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dry adjective (NOT SWEET)
C1 If wine or other alcoholic drinks are dry, they do not taste sweet:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Wines & winemaking
- -bodied
- amontillado
- Bordeaux
- breathe
- brut
- bubbly
- fruity
- lay
- magnum
- Marsala
- martini
- nose
- oaky
- oenophile
- red wine
- vintner
- viticulture
- white wine
- wine
- wine cooler
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dry adjective (HUMOUR)
approving Dry humour is very funny in a way that is clever and not obvious:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Humour & humorous
- a bundle of laughs idiom
- blackly
- bring
- bundle
- crack
- don't make me laugh! idiom
- funny ha-ha or funny peculiar? idiom
- gallows humour
- hysterical
- jocular
- josh
- killing
- lambent
- laugh
- sarcasm
- satirize
- tickle
- tongue
- witty
- wordplay
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Idiom(s)
drynoun
uk/draɪ/us/draɪ/a place where the conditions are not wet, especially when compared to somewhere where the conditions are wet:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Safe & enclosed spaces
- bolthole
- bunker
- bus shelter
- cocoon
- cover
- covert
- fallout shelter
- fastness
- hideout
- hidey-hole
- hiding place
- island
- lair
- nook
- safe haven
- safe house
- sanctuary
- shelter
- sheltered accommodation
- sunblind
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dryverb [ I or T ]
uk/draɪ/us/draɪ/A2 to become dry, or to make something become dry:
to dry plates, knives, forks, etc. after they have been washed
More examples
- You're sopping wet - go and dry yourself and get changed.
- The school provides paper towels for the children to dry their hands on.
- If she leaves her hair to dry on its own, it just waves naturally.
- We'll have to wait another couple of hours for the paint to dry.
- He was humming a tune as he dried the dishes.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Dry weather, arid conditions & dryness
- arid
- aridity
- bone
- bone dry idiom
- dehydrate
- desertification
- desiccation
- dried
- drought
- dry (sth) out
- dry up
- dust devil
- frazzled
- parch
- parched
- scorched
- semi-arid
- subarid
- sun-baked
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics: